Corkybark (Gyrostemon ramulosus)
This small tree (up to 8 m) is distinctive for its bright-green, fleshy foliage and corky, pale-brown bark. Moreover it is unusual in being most typical of much drier regions, including the red dunes of Central Australia. It occurs widely in Australia’s inland, including most of W.A. It is most abundant after fire.
Corkybark is uncommon round Perth, where it is confined to near the coast, on sand or limestone. The Swan River is its southernmost limit on the Swan Coastal Plain.
© Text and photographs: Robert Powell