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Queensland Blackbean

The Queensland Blackbean (also commonly know as Moreton Bay Chestnut) can be seen growing in rainforests throughout Queensland and northern NSW. The very attractive wood ranges in shades of chocolate brown with grey/brown streaks and is very sought after for workworking. It has high electrical resistance and is often used in electrical switchboards. The wood has a moderate blunting effect on cutting tools. The tree is generally straight grained but the texture is rather coarse. It is quite difficult to dry and requires slow air drying prior to kiln drying. The tree produces clusters of red and yellow flowers in the Spring and early Summer (September to December). The seed pods contain the toxin Saponin. The Aborigines would pound the seeds and hang them in bags in flowing water until they observed small fish nibbling at the bags, at which point they knew that the Saponin had been leached out and the seed pods were now a safe food source.
	A huge tree seen here in the car park of the town Library at Maleny in Queensland. The flower of the Blackbean is the floral emblem of the local shire of Maroochy.
<-----Interesting bark.     -----> Seed pods on the tree.
	The tree produces large quantities of seed pods which dry out and open to reveal the bean.