Tree description

And occurrence

This tree reaches a height of up to 25 meters and a stem diameter of 0.3 to 0.6 meters.  The bark is dark grey, hard and deeply furrowed.  The foliage is grey-green in colour and the trees are typically conical in shape.

White Cypress pine has a widespread natural occurrence extending from central western Queensland to Victoria through most of western New south Wales.  Its major commercial forest occurrence is in the Tambo-Dalby-Inglewood region of southern Queensland and in the Baradine-Narrabri and Cobar districts of northern New South Wales

Sawn timber is readily available

Wood Appearance

Colour.  The heartwood varies from light to dark yellow brown and the sapwood is creamy white

Grain. Very fine with an even texture and generally straight.  Knots are common.  The wood has a distinctively strong aromatic odour

Wood Properties

Density.  675 kilograms per cubic meter at 12 percent moisture content approximately 1.5 cubic meters of seasoned sawn timber per tonne.
Strength Group.  S5 unseasoned.  SD6 seasoned
Stress Grades F4, F5, F7 (unseasoned) F4, F5, F7 (seasoned)
When visually stress graded in accordance with AS2858 1986,

Timber  – softwood visually stress graded for structural purposes

Shrinkage to 12% MC.  2.6% (tangential); 2.4% radial

Unit Shrinkage.  0.26% (tangential), 0.22% (radial).

Durability above ground.  Class 1 – life expectancy over 40 years. Heart wood highly resistant to decay when fully exposed to the weather.

Durability in-ground. Class 2 – life expectancy 15 – 25 years Heartwood moderately resistant to decay when used in the ground.

Lyctid susceptibility.   Not susceptible
Termite Resistance.     Resistant
Preservation. Sapwood and heartwood are both very resistant to commercial preservative impregnation.
Seasoning.  Dries quickly although restriction of the drying rate during the early stages is necessary to avoid fine surface checking.  Rarely distorts during drying
Hardness.  Firm (rated 4 on a 6 class scale) in relation to indentation and ease of working with hand tools.
Machining.  Can be satisfactorily machined and turned to smooth surfaces.
Fixing. When hand or machine nailing use a blunt nail. Unseasoned timber generally nails well using either method but pre-drilling may be necessary when hand nailing close to ends. Seasoned timber may require pre-drilling.
Gluing.  Can be satisfactorily bonded using special techniques, eg slightly roughening surfaces and increasing opened assembly times.
Finishing.  Will readily accept stain, polish and paint.

Uses

Construction.  Used as sawn timber (usually unseasoned) in general house framing, fascias, barge boards and fencing.  Also used for cladding, flooring, lining and joinery.
Decorative. Internal quality furniture, outdoor furniture, turnery, joinery, carving, parquetry flooring.
Others. Beehives, oyster stakes, jetty piles (low salinity river or canal situations).

Identification Features

General Characteristics

Sapwood creamy white, distinct from heartwood
Heartwood Light to dark yellow brown
Texture. Very Very uniform with some figure and numerous knots.

 Wood Structure

Growth Rings. Indistinct
Vessels.  Absent
Rays.  Indistinct

Other Features
Burning Splinter Test.   Burns well leaving a white ash
Odour.   Distinctive and characteristic