blood-wood

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

or Blood-tree


n.

a nameapplied, with various epithets, to many of the Gum-trees (q.v.), especially to – – (1) Eucalyptus corymbosa, Smith,sometimes called Rough-barked bloodwood; (2) E. eximia,Schauer, Mountain or Yellow bloodwood; (3) Baloghialucida, Endl., N.O. Euphorbiaceae, called BrushBloodwood. The sap is blood-red, running copiously when cutacross with a knife.

1827. Vigors and Horsfield, `Transactions of LinnaeanSociety,' vol. xv. p. 271:

«The natives tell me it breeds in the winter in Mun'ning-treesor Blood-trees of the colonists (a species of Eucalyptus).»

1847. L.Leichhardt,' Overland Expedition,' p. 292:

«The bergue was covered with fine bloodwood trees,stringy-bark, and box.»

1892. A. J. North, `Proceedings of Linnaean Society,' New SouthWales, vol. vii. series 2, p. 396:

«I traced her to a termite nest in a bloodwood tree( Eucalyptus corymbosa).»

1889. J. H. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' 448:

«It [ E. eximia] is called `bloodwood,' partly becausekino exudes in the concentric circles of the wood . . . partlybecause its fruits are in shape very similar to those of E. corymbosa

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