PROSEA Handbook Number
5(1): Timber trees; Major commercial timbers
Taxon
Eucalyptus robusta J.E. Smith
This article should be read together with the article on the genus: Eucalyptus in the Handbook volume indicated above in this database.
Protologue
Spec. bot. New Holland 1: 39 (1795).
Synonyms
Eucalyptus multiflora Poir. (1812).
Vernacular Names
Swamp mahogany (En).
Distribution
Native to Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Planted in the Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and elsewhere in the tropics and subtropics.
Uses
The wood is mainly used for general construction but also for shingles, ship building, wharf construction and wheelwrights work. It is also used as a pulpwood and the species is used for reforestation purposes.
Observations
A medium-sized tree of up to 30 m tall, bole often rather short, bark rough, soft, spongy, subfibrous, red-brown; juvenile leaves alternate, ovate, discolorous, adult leaves alternate, broadly lanceolate, 10-16 cm 2.5-4.5 cm, long-acuminate, petiole 20-35 mm long; inflorescence simple, umbels 9-15-flowered; flower buds rostrate or more or less fusiform, operculum conical, rostrate; fruit campanulate, slightly constricted above the middle, 10-18 mm 6-11 mm, with 3 or 4 included to slightly exserted valves. Eucalyptus robusta grows in swampy places, often near the sea, sometimes on slopes and often in pure stands.
Image
![](./image/0000812.jpg) | Eucalyptus robusta J.E. Smith - 1, tree habit; 2, flowering twig; 3, flower buds; 4, infructescence |
Selected Sources
[63a]Boland, D.J. et al., 1984. Forest trees of Australia. Industrial Research Organisation, Melbourne. 687 pp.
[175]de Guzman, E, R. M. Umali, & E.D. Sotalbo, 1986. Guide to Philippine flora and fauna. Vol. 3: dipterocarps, non-dipterocarps. Natural Resources Management Center, Ministry of Natural Resources & University of the Philippines, Manila. xx + 414 pp.
[232]Flora of Australia (various editors), 1981–. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
[322a]Hillis, W.E. & Brown, A.G., 1978. Eucalypts for wood production. Griffin Press, Adelaide. 434 pp.
[343]Jacobs, M.R., 1981. Eucalypts for planting, 2nd ed. FAO Forestry Series No 11. FAO, Rome. 677 pp.
[540]Penfold, A.R. & Willis, J.L., 1961. The eucalypts: botany, cultivation, chemistry and utilisation. Hill, London. 551 pp.
Correct Citation of this Article
Jongkind, C.C.H., 1993. Eucalyptus robusta J.E. Smith. In: Soerianegara, I. and Lemmens, R.H.M.J. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 5(1): Timber trees; Major commercial timbers. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record:
prota4u.org/prosea