Brachychiton populneus

Location & distribution maps

Common name:                Kurrajong

• Carrejun and carrejan were the indigenous names of trees in the foothills of the Blue Mountains near Sydney, and the bark was used for twine and fishing lines

Conservation status:  ...

Etymology:   

• The specific name populneus pertains to a perceived similarity to the Populus genus, i.e. the poplars

• Sometimes B. populneus is also known by the names "lacebark kurrajong" and "bottle tree" (USA)

• However, B. discolor is also referred to as the lacebark kurrajong, and bottle tree is a term commonly applied not only to other species of Brachychiton but to members of other genera around the world

Flowers:                  

• The bell-shaped flowers are variable in colour (pale to pink)

Fruit:                         

Leaves:         

• The leaves vary considerably in shape

• They are either simple and pointed, or may be 3–9 lobed

Stem & branches: 

• The extended trunk is a water storage device for survival in a warm dry climate

• Saplings grow from a drought and fire-resistant tap-rooted tuber

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A small to medium-sized tree 

Habitat:   

• A diversity of habitats from wetter coastal districts to semi-arid interiors

Distribution:                  

• Found naturally in Australia

• Victoria, NSW and Queensland

Additional notes:     

• Uses

  • The kurrajong has multiple uses and was used by many Australian Aboriginal clans and tribes around Australia

  • The seeds located in a seed pod were often removed, cleaned of the fine hairs within the seed pod, and roasted

  • Water could be obtained from the tree roots by boring a hole in the trunk and squeezing the wood

  • There are also records of the seed pods being turned into a children's rattle or toy

  • The soft spongy wood was used for making shields, and the bark as a fibre

  • The leaves are also used as emergency fodder for drought-affected animal stock

  • There are also records of European settlers using the seeds as a coffee supplement by roasting and crushing the seeds

  • It has been introduced as an ornamental tree to south-western Australia, South Africa, Louisiana, California, Arizona and Mediterranean countries. In Western Australia it was observed to be an invasive in disturbed areas

  • Horticulturists have hybridised the kurrajong with related Brachychiton species, including the Queensland bottle tree (B. rupestris) and Illawarra flame tree (B. acerifolius) to produce new garden ornamentals

• Ecology

  • The kurrajong has been recorded as a host plant for the mistletoe species Dendrophthoe glabrescens

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachychiton_populneus (September 2024)