Brachychiton australis
Plant Number: 52
Common Name: Broad-leaved Bottle Tree
Scientific Name: Brachychiton australis
Derivation of name
Brachychiton – from two Greek words meaning 'short' and 'tunic', an allusion to the bristles surrounding the seed in fruit
Description
- Endemic to Queensland, occurring in the north-east, central-east and southwards as far as south-eastern Queensland
- Grows in closed forest with a large number of deciduous trees or in dry rainforest and prefers a long dry season but can also be found in vine thickets in rocky situations
- A long lived deciduous tree, without leaves June – August, which grows to 5-9 metres and lives 100 years plus
- Trunk eventually bottle-shaped
- Flowers 25 mm, mainly appear in winter and are white-cream in colour
- Mature leaves are 4-9 lobed, each ending in a fine tip
Human uses
Brachychiton species are water bearing trees that can be tapped in dry times.
Acknowledgment: Bush Heritage, Mangroves to Mountain, Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Photo: Craig Hunter, Arthur Chapman, John Jennings