Diploglottis australis

Last updated

Native tamarind
Diploglottis australis - Native Tamarind - habit - Mount Royal NP, NSW, by Doug Beckers 8 May 2009.jpg
Native tamarind in a rainforest gully of Mount Royal National Park, Barrington Tops, Australia
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Diploglottis
Species:
D. australis
Binomial name
Diploglottis australis
Synonyms [1] [2]
  • Stadmannia australisG.Don
  • Diploglottis cunninghamii(Hook.) Hook.f. ex Benth.

Diploglottis australis, known as the native tamarind, is a well known rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It is easily identified by the large sausage shaped leaflets.

Contents

The native tamarind grows in a variety of different rainforests, on basaltic and rich alluvial soils. The southernmost limit of natural distribution is Brogo near Bega (36° S) in New South Wales. They grow naturally along the east coast, northwards to near Proserpine (20° S) in tropical Queensland. [3]

Description

Infructescence with edible fruit at Bunya Mountains National Park Rainforest tree - 'Native Tamarind' - Diploglottis australis (3169875965).jpg
Infructescence with edible fruit at Bunya Mountains National Park

The tree is medium to large, with long and broad leaves. It can achieve a height of over 35 metres tall and a trunk diameter of 75 cm. The trunk is cylindrical and flanged at the base, somewhat resembling the trunk of the Coachwood.

The branches bear alternate leaves, which are large and pinnate with conspicuously large leaflets. The leaf is generally 40–120 cm long and leaves on mature branches bear about 6–12 leaflets each, but on seedlings or coppice shoots the leaves may be simple or bear only 3–5 leaflets. The leaflets commonly are 10–30 cm long and 4–8 cm wide, broadly oblong to elliptic, bluntly pointed at the tip, not equal at the base, often covered with velvety golden brown hairs. The leaf veins are easy to see on both sides, more so on the underside. The midrib is slightly raised on the top surface. [4]

Flowers form in spring, being creamy brown in large and hairy panicles. The brown and hairy capsule matures from October to January. It contains a yellow/orange aril, which is pleasant to the taste. Within the aril is a triangular, pale brown seed.

Seed germination is reliable and fast, although seed collected from damp ground where it falls in large quantity, generally is heavily infested with insect grubs. Many species of rainforest birds eat the fruit, particularly the aril, and disseminate the seed. Prominent examples of such birds include the brown cuckoo dove, crimson rosella, Australasian figbird, green catbird, regent bowerbird, Australian brush-turkey, rose-crowned fruit-dove, topknot pigeon and wompoo fruit-dove.

Taxonomy

An involved naming history exists for this species. [1] [2] At all events, Diploglottis australis(G.Don) Radlk. has received support and clarification as the currently accepted name, [1] [2] rather than the synonym of D. cunninghamii. [5]

Uses

The native tamarind is grown as a decorative tree in various parts of urban Australia, including behind the Mitchell Library in the city of Sydney. However, the tree is ill-suited to situations where strong winds damage its large leaflets.

The native tamarind is valued as an indigenous fruit tree because the aril may be eaten raw or added to jams and chutneys. It also is used as the basis for a tangy cool drink.

Related Research Articles

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

Diploglottis is a genus of 10 species of trees known to science, constituting part of the plant family Sapindaceae. They grow naturally in rainforests and margins of adjoining humid forests in eastern Australia and New Guinea. Some species are known as native tamarind or small-leaved tamarind; they have no direct relationship with the true tamarind.

<i>Diploglottis campbellii</i> Species of tree

Diploglottis campbellii is a rainforest tree northern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland. Growing to 30 metres tall, it is commonly known as the small-leaved tamarind. It is rare and threatened and is restricted to a small number of sites, each with a maximum of 3 trees per site. However, it is readily available from nurseries in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, and in south-eastern Queensland.

<i>Sloanea australis</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Elaeocarpaceae

Sloanea australis, commonly known as the maiden's blush, is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. The range of natural distribution is from near Batemans Bay in southern New South Wales to Cape Tribulation in tropical Queensland. The habitat of Sloanea australis is various types of rainforest; such as littoral, warm temperate, montane rainforest, sub tropical, and tropical rainforests. Often growing in particularly moist areas, such as next to streams.

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

Cupaniopsis anacardioides, with common names tuckeroo, carrotwood, beach tamarind and green-leaved tamarind, is a species of flowering tree in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, that is native to eastern and northern Australia. The usual habitat is littoral rainforest on sand or near estuaries. The range of natural distribution is from Seven Mile Beach, New South Wales to Queensland, northern Australia and New Guinea.

<i>Polyosma cunninghamii</i> Species of tree

Polyosma cunninghamii, known as the featherwood, is a small rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It grows in many different types of rainforest, however seldom found in the drier rainforests. It is often seen in the cooler rainforests at high altitude. The range of natural distribution is from Kioloa near Batemans Bay in southern New South Wales, to Maleny in south eastern Queensland.

<i>Jagera pseudorhus</i> Species of tree

Jagera pseudorhus, commonly named foambark, is a species of rainforest trees, in the northern half of eastern Australia and in New Guinea, constituting part of the flowering plant family Sapindaceae. Named for the saponin foam that forms on the bark after heavy rain.

<i>Vitex lignum-vitae</i> Species of tree

Vitex lignum-vitae, known in Australia as yellow hollywood or "lignum-vitae", is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. The natural range of distribution is in dry, sub-tropical or tropical rainforest from the Richmond River, New South Wales to Cape York Peninsula at the northernmost tip of Australia. It also occurs in New Guinea. Lignum vitae is Latin for "wood of life".

<i>Diospyros australis</i> Species of tree

Diospyros australis is the most southerly of the group of some 450 ebonies and persimmons. It is a shrub or small tree growing in rainforests of seaward eastern Australia. The habitat is in a variety of different rainforest forms, though not often seen in the cool temperate rainforests. The range of natural distribution is from Durras Lake near Batemans Bay in south east New South Wales, to Atherton in tropical Queensland.

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

Polyscias murrayi, known as the pencil cedar, is a very common rainforest tree of eastern Australia.

<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>Trochocarpa montana</i> Species of tree

Trochocarpa montana, the mountain tree heath, is an Australian shrub or small tree. It occurs at high altitude from the Barrington Tops to the Dorrigo region of northern New South Wales.

<i>Arytera divaricata</i> Species of tree

Arytera divaricata, known as the gap axe, coogara, coogera or rose tamarind is a forest tree of eastern Australia. An attractive plant with glossy pale and limp new leaves. It grows in fairly dry situations, often in littoral rainforests and monsoon forest.

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

Elattostachys nervosa, known as the green tamarind or beetroot tree is a common rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Found in all types of rainforest, growing from Paterson, New South Wales in the south to Gympie in south east Queensland. The name Elattostachys refers to "little spikes", a flower feature of other plants in this genus. Nervosa refers to the prominent leaf venation. Beetroot Tree refers to the beetroot red leaves of the new growth.

<i>Sarcopteryx stipata</i> Species of tree

Sarcopteryx stipata, known as the steelwood, is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia occurring from the Bulga Plateau and Comboyne Plateau north west of Taree, New South Wales as far north as Fraser Island off the coast of south eastern Queensland. It grows in sub tropical rainforest but sometimes occurs in warm temperate rainforests on poorer soils. It is a member of the soap berry family. The generic name Sarcopteryx translates to "fleshy wing", as the fruit can be wing shaped. Stipata means "surrounded". The common name steelwood refers to the very tough, hard and heavy timber.

<i>Mischocarpus pyriformis</i> Species of tree

Mischocarpus pyriformis, known as the pear fruited tamarind is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Occurring from Seal Rocks, New South Wales to as far north as Cooktown in tropical Queensland. The sub species found in New South Wales is Mischocarpus pyriformis subsp. pyriformis.

<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>Arytera distylis</i> Species of tree

Arytera distylis, known as the two-leaved coogera or twin-leaved coogera is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It grows by streams or in sea side rainforests. It occurs from the Orara River in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, extending up to Maryborough in south east Queensland.

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

Cupaniopsis newmanii is a rainforest plant in the soapberry family. It is native to eastern Australia. The common name is long-leaved tuckeroo. A rare plant, with a ROTAP listing of 2RC-. The habitat sub tropical rainforest ranging from Mullumbimby in New South Wales to Gympie in south-eastern Queensland.

<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>Ackama paniculosa</i> Species of tree

Ackama paniculosa, synonym Caldcluvia paniculosa, known as the soft corkwood, is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It occurs from Ourimbah, Central Coast at 33° S to Eungella National Park in tropical Queensland. Other common names include corkwood, rose-leaf marara, brown alder and sugarbark.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Diploglottis%". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS) database (listing by % wildcard matching of all taxa relevant to Australia). Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Harden, Gwen J.; Johnson, Lawrence A. S. (1986). "A Note on Diploglottis australis (G.Don) Radlk." Telopea. 2 (6): 745–748. doi: 10.7751/telopea19864613 . Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  3. ↑ Floyd, A. G. (1989). Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia (1st ed.). Port Melbourne: Elsevier Australia - Inkata Imprint, copyright Forestry Commission of New South Wales (published 1989-12-01). p. 347. ISBN   0-909605-57-2 . Retrieved 2009-05-26. (other publication details, included in citation)
  4. ↑ Harden, Gwen J. (31 May 2002). "Diploglottis cunninghamii (Hook.) Hook.f. ex Benth. – New South Wales Flora Online". PlantNET – The Plant Information Network System. 2.0. Sydney, Australia: The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust. Retrieved 12 Sep 2014.
  5. ↑ Reynolds, S. T. (1981). "Notes on Sapindaceae in Australia, I". Austrobaileya. 1 (4): 390–398. JSTOR   41738625.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.