Auranticarpa rhombifolia

Last updated

Auranticarpa rhombifolia
Auranticarpa rhombifolia Mt Keira Gardens trunk.jpg
Trunk of A. rhombifolia
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Pittosporaceae
Genus: Auranticarpa
Species:
A. rhombifolia
Binomial name
Auranticarpa rhombifolia
Synonyms
  • Pittosporum rhombifolium(A.Cunn. ex Hook.)

Auranticarpa rhombifolia is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Known as the diamond leaf pittosporum, this tree is planted in many parts of Australia as an ornamental. The white flowers and orange fruit make it a most appealing street or garden tree. Other common names include hollywood, diamond leaf laurel, white myrtle and white holly.

Contents

Australian botanists recently[ when? ] examined the large genus Pittosporum and decided the more northerly examples are significantly different from those in the south. Subsequently, a new genus was created Auranticarpa , which means "gold fruit".

The range of natural distribution is on red–brown basaltic soils from Richmond River, New South Wales (28° S) to Forty Mile Scrub National Park (18° S) in tropical Queensland.

Description

A small tree, up to 25 metres in height and a trunk diameter of 45 cm. The bark is grey, irregular, not smooth and almost corky. Leaves alternate, toothed in uneven patterns in the top half of the leaf. Not toothed closer to the stem. Rhomboid in shape, 5 to 10 cm long and 4 to 7 cm wide. Midrib, lateral and net veins easily seen on both the upper and lower leaf surface.

Flowers and fruit

Small white flowers occur in a terminal corymb from November to January. Fruit is an orange pear shaped capsule, 9 mm long with two or three oval black seeds. Fruits mature from February to May. Germination from fresh seed is slow, taking up to four months with around a third of seeds sending out roots and shoots.

Uses

A very popular ornamental tree. It needs a well-drained soil. Full sun is required for a significant display of orange fruit.

Auranticarpa rhombifolia - fruit at Wollongong Botanic Garden Auranticarpa rhombifolia Mt Keira Gardens.jpg
Auranticarpa rhombifolia – fruit at Wollongong Botanic Garden

Related Research Articles

<i>Pittosporum</i> Genus of flowering plants

Pittosporum is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Pittosporaceae. The genus is probably Gondwanan in origin; its present range extends from Australasia, Oceania, eastern Asia and some parts of Africa. Citriobatus can be included here, but might be a distinct genus. They are commonly known as pittosporums or, more ambiguously, cheesewoods.

<i>Waterhousea floribunda</i> Species of tree

Waterhousea floribunda is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It grows along streams from the Williams River near Dungog to Mackay in central eastern Queensland. Known as the weeping lilli pilli, this tree is widely planted as an ornamental. Planted trees from 1827 may be seen at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. However, these trees are damaged and threatened by the roosting grey headed flying foxes. A very large tree is located at Western Park in Auckland, New Zealand.

<i>Syzygium hodgkinsoniae</i> Species of tree

Syzygium hodgkinsoniae is a rare subtropical rainforest tree, growing on alluvial soils by streams in the north east New South Wales and south east Queensland, Australia. The range of natural distribution is from the Richmond River, New South Wales to Gympie in south east Queensland. Common names include smooth-bark rose apple or red lilly pilly.

<i>Macaranga tanarius</i> Pioneer rainforest tree species

Macaranga tanarius is a plant found in South East Asia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and eastern Australia. It is commonly seen as a pioneer species in disturbed rainforest areas. Easily recognised for the round veiny leaves. In Australia it naturally occurs from the Richmond River, New South Wales to Cooktown in tropical Queensland.

<i>Cryptocarya laevigata</i> Species of tree

Cryptocarya laevigata, known as the glossy laurel or red-fruited laurel, is a rainforest plant growing in eastern Australia. The natural range of distribution is rainforest understorey on fertile soils, from the Richmond River, New South Wales to Cairns in tropical Queensland. Often seen in association with the White Booyong.

<i>Endiandra pubens</i> Species of tree

Endiandra pubens is a rainforest tree growing in eastern Australia. The habitat is subtropical rainforest growing near streams in valleys. The range of natural distribution is from the Bellinger River, New South Wales to Bulburin National Park, south west of Gladstone, Queensland.

<i>Auranticarpa</i> Genus of flowering plants

Auranticarpa is a genus of trees in the family Pittosporaceae. All six species occur in monsoonal forest and rainforest margins in Northern Australia. The species, all formerly included in the genus Pittosporum, are as follows:

<i>Backhousia subargentea</i> Species of tree

Backhousia subargentea is a rare Australian rainforest tree, growing near Mullumbimby in north eastern New South Wales and from Boonah to Imbil in south eastern Queensland.

<i>Claoxylon australe</i> Species of tree

Claoxylon australe, known as brittlewood is a common rainforest shrub or understorey tree. The habitat is all types of eastern Australian rainforests. The natural range of distribution is from Eden in south eastern New South Wales to Bowen in tropical Queensland.

<i>Croton verreauxii</i> Species of tree

Croton verreauxii known as the green native cascarilla is a small tree or shrub growing in dry rainforest and rainforest margins in eastern Australia.

<i>Psychotria loniceroides</i> Species of tree

Psychotria loniceroides, the hairy psychotria, is a plant native to the forest areas of eastern Australia.

<i>Pittosporum multiflorum</i> Species of shrub

Pittosporum multiflorum, known as the orange thorn, is a shrub growing in eastern Australia. The dense foliage provides a habitat for small birds and animals. It grows on shales or volcanic soils, from Eden, New South Wales north to Queensland, usually in or near rainforest areas.

<i>Polyscias sambucifolia</i> Species of tree

Polyscias sambucifolia, commonly known as elderberry panax or small basswood, is a species of plant native to eastern Australia.

<i>Endiandra discolor</i> Species of tree

Endiandra discolor is an Australian tree, growing from near Gosford, New South Wales to Tully, Queensland in the tropics. Common names include rose walnut and domatia tree.

<i>Endiandra virens</i> Species of tree

Endiandra virens is an Australian tree in the laurel family. Growing from Boorganna Nature Reserve north west of Taree, New South Wales to Kin Kin in Southern Queensland. Common names include White Apple, Plumwood, and New South Wales Walnut.

<i>Ficus virens <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> sublanceolata</i> Species of fig

Ficus virens var. sublanceolata is a banyan or strangler fig. It grows alongside the related white fig in the northern part of its range. They differ with narrower leaves, almost lanceolate in shape. Common names in Australia include white fig, sour fig, deciduous fig and banyan. A large example can be seen north of Murwillumbah beside the old Pacific Highway, not far from the state border with Queensland.

<i>Cupaniopsis baileyana</i> Species of tree

Cupaniopsis baileyana is a species of flowering tree in the soapberry family. It is native to eastern Australia. Common names include White Tamarind and Toothed Tuckeroo. The species name honours the botanist F.M.Bailey.

<i>Pseudoweinmannia lachnocarpa</i> Species of tree

Pseudoweinmannia lachnocarpa is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Common names include rose marara, mararie, scrub rosewood and red carabeen. The species name lachnocarpa is from the Greek, referring to the "woolly fruit". The genus name refers to the similarity of another genus, Weinmannia, after the German eighteenth century pharmacist J.W. Weinmann.

<i>Elattostachys xylocarpa</i> Species of tree

Elattostachys xylocarpa, known as the white tamarind or short-leaf beetroot is a common rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Found in the drier rainforests, which are based on volcanic soils. From as far south as the Orara River in northern New South Wales to Bowen in tropical Queensland. The name Elattostachys refers to "little spikes", a flower feature of other plants in this genus. xylocarpa refers to the hard woody fruit.

<i>Pittosporum bicolor</i> Species of shrub

Pittosporum bicolor, commonly known as cheesewood or banyalla, is a flowering shrub or small tree of the Pittosporaceae family, and is native to south eastern Australia.

References