The Australian Red Cedar (aka. Woolia; Toona ciliata) is a mahogany forest tree from Asia and Australasia. Since it has been highly valued for its wood, its natural habitat in New South Wales and Queensland of Australia have been extensively cleared, and it is now considered commercially extinct.
The Australian Red Cedar can grow to about 200 feet tall and produces large paripinnate leaves and green fruits that are ellipsoid, yielding winged seeds.
It’s wood is aromatic, red in color, light and easy to work, yet durable and moderately hard.
Several parts of this tree have uses beyond the wood, however. The leaves are edible when cooked, the fruit yields an aromatic oil, the bark produces tannins and fiber, the flowers produce yellow and red dyes and the wood is also used for growing shiitake mushrooms.
The Australian Red Cedar also has traditional medicine uses through several peoples in its native range. The bark has been used for its astringent, tonic properties and as a febrifuge and wound healer.
The flowers have been used for stimulating menstruation, and the gum is also used for wound healing.
As the Australian Red Cedar has interesting phytochemistry, there has been mounding scientific investigations into its biological activities, which include anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiglycation, and hypoglycemic activities.
hashtag#ethnobotany hashtag#extinct hashtag#trees
**This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.
Another Commercially Extinct Useful Tree. 😔 🌲
