Angophora floribunda

A large tree (rarely a mallee), reaching up to 30 m tall.  It is a very widespread tree in a variety of habitats in NSW. Its primary occurrence is from south-eastern Victoria, along the whole of the NSW coast into central Queensland. However, there are also records in western Victoria into the east of South Australia; and also in northern Queensland.

In NSW, it extends from the coast into the Central and Northern Tablelands and Slopes, as well as the north-western plains.

It is typically found on alluvial and sandy areas, on many creeklines and lower valleys in inland NSW, forming an integral component of dry sclerophyll woodlands and forests. It can grow in monocultural stands in some areas.

It also regenerates heavily in many areas, through copious seedlings, where regeneration is allowed to occur.

The bark is fibrous and continuous, somewhat resembling a mahogany or stringybark-type eucalypt. However, the contorted canopy is readily identifiable.

The juvenile foliage / coppicing growth is usually broad-lanceolate to narrow-elliptic, to 9 cm long and 4 cm wide, lighter green to blue-green in colour; arranged oppositely.

Angophora spp. have adult leaves that remain opposite to sub-opposite. In this species, leaves are lanceolate to 12 cm long and up to 3 cm wide with a petiole over 1 cm – green to blue-green in colour and somewhat pendulous. The leaves are not overly odorous and the underside of the leaves are much paler, with a distinctive fine reticulate venation which aids identification.

The primary inflorescence of “eucalypts” (Angophora / Corymbia / Eucalyptus) is an umbellaster (an umbel-like cluster of flowers). In Angophora, the flower still retains its small and free petals and sepals. They are not fused into a calyptra / operculum which is shed, as in Eucalyptus and Corymbia.

Flower buds are produced in umbellasters of 7, ovoid to globose to about 7 mm long and to 7 mm wide. The petals are very short – about 4 mm long. The buds are usually green in colour. Flowering can be observed in November to March and individual flowers are up to 1 to 2 cm across, bright cream to white. Like Corymbia spp., Angophora spp. have flowers positioned beyond the foliage at the terminals.

The capsules are ovoid to globose with conspicuous ribs and teeth, smaller than than those of A. hispida or A. costata, to 10 mm long by 10 mm wide with a flat disc. Fruits can typically be readily found on the ground, assisting identification.