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Hakea leucoptera

Hakea leucoptera is a plant of the dry regions of Australia. The species is often referred to as Silver needlewood, needle hakea, pin bush and water tree. It has several Indigenous names, Booldoobah, Uri, Kuluva, Kuloa. The specific epithet, derived from the Latin Leucoptera (Gk): leuco meaning white and ptera meaning winged referring to the characteristic white-winged seed of this species.

Distribution It is found in every state of Australia except Tasmania and is commonly known as a dry country species particularly arid and semi arid regions.

Habit and leaf form The habit of this plant is highly variable. It can be a small open branched tree to 5 m or a small multi stemmed shrub to 3 m. The habitat is usually course textured soils and associated with a wide variety of species in woodland communities. It is widespread throughout all mainland states occurring in dense thickets of shrubs, as scattered individual trees or a large parent tree surrounded by offspring. It has a reddish-brown close-grained timber that is soft but hard and brittle when dry. Hakea leucoptera resembles an oak tree. They can shoot from roots or by suckering. The leaves are arranged alternatively along the branches. They are rigid and cylindrical in varying length from 8-35mm long and approximately 1.5mm wide with a sharp pointed tip. The young leaves are hoary but as they mature they become smooth.

Inflorescence and floral features Creamy white flowers are formed on short hairless stalks about 4mm long in clusters of 20 or more as auxiliary racemes. Hakea leucoptera flower from late spring to summer.

Fruit and seed features Fruit comprises a woody follicle about 20-30mm long which is swollen at the base but tapers to a point. The capsules open in halves longitudinally revealing 2 seeds that have an opaque wing on one side only. The woody seed can persist on the branches until after the following years flowering. Immature seed will not ripen off the plant and it is best to collect older fruits. Crop size varies from year to year. Once removed the fruits usually dry out and open within 1-2 weeks. It is easily grown from fresh seed which usually germinates in 3-6 weeks and seed is suitable for direct seeding.

Uses Shrubby forms are palatable to stock but only in times of acute feed shortage. Smoking pipes have been manufactured from the roots and in 1895 the Australian Needle-wood Pipe Company was formed in Sydney. This plant was important to the Indigenous people and inland explorers as they sourced water from the roots. The tree was burnt which forced the water into the root system, then the roots were dug up. They were striped, one end placed over a slow fire while the other over a container to force the water out. This feature also enabled the plant to quickly regenerate after fire. A sweet nutritious drink was made by dipping heavily laden blossom into a cup of water or by sucking the flowers directly. Hakea leucoptera flowers produce a high quality honey favoured by bees. The Indigenous people of inland Australia used Corkwoods as a medicinal agent. Burns and open sores were directly applied with the burnt bark of the Hakea tree or the burnt bark mixture was combined with animal fat to make a healing ointment. The seed pods were also used for decoration by Indigenous people. The timber polishes up well and haves a very showy grain and was also used for small tannery articles.