Orites excelsus
Orites excelsus, commonly known as prickly ash, mountain silky oak, or white beefwood, is a flowering plant in the Proteaceae family and is found only in eastern Australia. It grows as a tall rainforest tree, up to about 30 meters high, with smooth brown or grey bark. New shoots are often covered in rust-colored hairs.
Leaves are long and leaf-shaped, usually lobed with teeth along the edges. They are shiny green on top and grayish beneath. Flowers are white or creamy-white, fragrant, about 6 mm long, and arranged in spikes along a short flowering stalk. They bloom from winter to early spring. The fruit is a boat-shaped follicle, about 20–30 mm long and 8–10 mm wide.
Taxonomy: Orites excelsus was first described by Robert Brown in 1830. It has several synonyms, including Orites fragrans, but these are now treated as the same species.
Fossils: Similar lobed leaves have been found in Eocene rocks in northern Otago, New Zealand, suggesting a close relation or resemblance to this species.
Distribution and habitat: It grows in cool mountain rainforests from Barrington Tops in New South Wales north to southeastern Queensland, and on Mounts Bellenden-Ker and Bartle Frere in north Queensland. It is typically found at higher elevations, above about 750 meters in New South Wales and 1,000–1,500 meters in north Queensland. It often grows with the yellow carabeen (Sloanea woollsii).
Uses: The timber is used for shingles, casks, furniture, and joinery.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:14 (CET).