Common Name: Red Stringybark

General Information

Eucalyptus macrorhyncha is an evergreen tree with a large, spreading crown; it can grow 15 - 35 metres tall. The shortish bole is usually straight, but is [, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Australia - South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales

Habitat

Many sites in granite and poorer white acid soils; at elevations up to 900 metres[, ]. Dry forests on rocky hills at middle elevations in areas of high summer temperatures, heavy winter frosts and occasional snow[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus macrorhyncha is native to the warm temperate climate of southeastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres. Summers are hot, sometimes with rain, with most rainfall occurring in the winter months; fairly long droughts occur periodically. Mean annual rainfall is within the range 600 - 800mm; mean maximum temperature of the hottest month is 26 - 32°c; mean minimum temperature of the coldest month is 3 - 4°c, and there are generally around 10 - 40 frosts a year[]. Requires a hot summer to ripen its wood and it can then be hardy to about -7°c for short periods, though if summers are cool the plant is less cold-tolerant[]. The subspecies cannonii is a little hardier and is known to survive the winters of southern England[].
Prefers a sunny position in a moderately fertile well-drained moisture retentive circum-neutral soil[]. Tolerates poor and dry soils, especially those low in mineral elements[]. Intolerant of hot dry conditions[], the plant can die back during a drought[].
The plant develops a lignotuber - this is a woody tuber that starts to develop near the base of seedlings and can become massive in the mature plants of some species. It possesses embedded vegetative buds, allowing the plant to regenerate following crown destruction, for example by fire[].
Plants are shallow-rooting and, especially in windy areas, should be planted out into their permanent positions when small to ensure that they do not suffer from wind-rock[]. They strongly resent root disturbance and should be container grown before planting out into their permanent position[].
Eucalyptus species have not adopted a deciduous habit and continue to grow until it is too cold for them to do so. This makes them more susceptible to damage from sudden cold snaps. If temperature fluctuations are more gradual, as in a woodland for example, the plants have the opportunity to stop growing and become dormant, thus making them more cold resistant. A deep mulch around the roots to prevent the soil from freezing also helps the trees to survive cold conditions[]. Many members of this genus are remarkably adaptable however, and there can be a dramatic increase in the hardiness of subsequent generations from the seed of survivors growing in temperate zones[].
A good shade tree[].
Plants coppice freely[].

Edible Uses

Although there are no reports of edibility, the leaves contain up to 11% rutin[].

Medicinal

A kino resin is exuded from the tree[, ]. It can also be obtained from the tree by making incisions in the trunk[, ]. This resin contains tannin and is powerfully astringent, it is used internally in the treatment of diarrhoea and bladder inflammations[, , ]. Kino is taken internally as an effective treatment for dysentery, working because it is not absorbed at all from the stomach and only very slowly from the intestine, and is thus able to directly treat the lower part of the intestine[].
Applied externally it is used as a treatment for sores, cuts etc[, , ].

The leaves contain up to 6.24% rutin. This is taken internally in order to strengthen capillaries[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Flowers are rich in nectar and are a good bee crop[].

Other Uses

The leaves contain between 0.1 and 0.3% essential oil. The essential oil is an effective inhibitor of hydrochloric acid corrosion when coated over steel[].
An essential oil is obtained from the leaves. Total quantity of the oil, and its composition, can vary widely from plant to plant, but we have reports that the fresh leaves contain around 0.3 - 1.0% essential oil. The main components include globulol (up to 20% in some forms), viridiflorol ( up to 14%), spathulene, pinene, phellandrene, 1,8-cineole, eudesmol[].

A yellow dye is obtained from the leaves[].

A fibre is obtained from the bark. Used for rough cordage, matting, packing etc[].

A red kino resin is obtained from the trunk[]. Kino resins are rich in tannins and are very astringent. They can be used medicinally, in tanning, as well as for preserving and dyeing natural fibres. The resin oozes naturally from wounds in the trunk and can be tapped by making incisions in the bark. At first it is a thick liquid, but soon hardens upon exposure to the air and sun, typically drying to an amber-like material that consists of dark red angular fragments, rarely larger than a pea.

The light pinkish brown wood is of moderate strength and durability; easily split: with a density of 830 kg/m3[]. Another report says that the wood is hard, tough and very durable[].. It is used for construction, furniture making etc[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow late winter/early spring in a sunny position in a greenhouse[, , ]. Species that come from high altitudes appreciate 6 - 8 weeks cold stratification at 2°c[]. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots as soon as the second set of seed leaves has developed, if left longer than this they might not move well. Plant out into their permanent positions in early summer and give them some protection from the cold in their first winter. The seed can also be sown in early summer, the young trees being planted in their final positions in late spring of the following year. The seed has a long viability[].