Claoxylon australe, known as brittlewood is a common rainforest shrub or understorey tree.

The natural range of distribution is from Eden (37° S) in southeastern New South Wales to Bowen (20° S) in tropical Queensland.

A shrub or small tree growing to 9 metres in height and a trunk diameter of 30 cm.

The bark is fawnish brown or grey, fairly smooth with some lines of vertical bumps and other irregularities.

The fruit matures in January to March, being a purple-black capsule, which is globular in shape, 6 mm in diameter.