Litsea australis | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Brown bollygum | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Magnoliids |
Order: | Laurales |
Family: | Lauraceae |
Genus: | Litsea |
Species: | L. australis |
Binomial name | |
Litsea australis | |
Synonyms | |
Litsea australis, the brown bollygum or brown bollywood is a species of rainforest tree in the laurel family, found in eastern Australia. [1] The specific epithet australis means "southern". As this southern population was considered to be Litsea leefeana, until reclassified by the rainforest botanist Bernie Hyland in 1989. This species is found in a variety of different rainforest types, but often seen growing near the sea. Distributed from Forster, New South Wales in the south to Fraser Island in Queensland. [2]
A small to medium sized tree, up to 20 metres tall. The base of the tree is sometimes buttressed in larger individuals. Bark is rough and irregular, a reddish brown colour. Young shoots are hairy. Leaves are elliptical in shape, alternate on the stem. 8 to 13 cm long with a blunt tip, rarely to 20 cm long. The underside of the leaf is green with brown hairs. Leaf stalks 8 to 15 mm long. Leaf venation is prominent on both sides of the leaf. Tiny green or cream colour flowers form from January to June. Male and female flowers grow on separate trees. The fruit is a black drupe, eaten by a variety of rainforest birds. [2]
Butterfly larvae and birds use this plant as a food source. Such as the wompoo fruit dove, rose-crowned fruit dove, [2] purple moonbeam [3] and blue triangle butterfly. [4]
Olea paniculata, commonly known as the native olive, is a plant of the genus Olea and a relative of the olive. It grows natively in Pakistan and southwestern China (Yunnan) through tropical Asia to Australia and the Pacific islands of New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Lord Howe Island.
Litsea reticulata is a common Australian tree, growing from near Milton, New South Wales to the Bunya Mountains, Queensland. Common names include bollygum, bolly wood and brown beech. The habitat of the bollygum is rainforest of most types, except the dryer forms.
Ehretia acuminata is a deciduous tree found in Japan, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, New Guinea and Australia. Fossil evidence suggests an ancient Laurasian origin. This group of plants spread to Australia and South America via Africa, when these continents were still joined.
Cryptocarya glaucescens, commonly known as jackwood, is a rainforest tree of the laurel family growing in eastern Australia.
Symplocos stawellii, or the white hazelwood, is a rainforest tree growing in eastern Australia. It often grows along creeks in gullies, in tropical and sub-tropical rainforests. The natural distribution is from Gerringong Creek in the upper Kangaroo Valley of New South Wales to the Atherton Tableland in tropical Queensland. It also occurs in New Guinea.
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.
Beilschmiedia obtusifolia is a rainforest laurel indigenous to eastern Australia. It ranges, roughly, from the Manning River in New South Wales to the Daintree River in Queensland, within tropical and sub tropical rainforests, usually on the more fertile basaltic sites, but sometimes close to the sea. Its common names include blush walnut, hard bolly gum, and nut wood.
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.
Polyscias elegans, known as the celery wood, is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It occurs in a variety of different rainforest types, from fertile basaltic soils, to sand dunes and less fertile sedimentary soils. The range of natural distribution is from Jervis Bay in southern New South Wales to Thursday Island, north of the Australian continent. Other common names include black pencil cedar and silver basswood. Polyscias elegans is useful to bush regenerators as a nursery tree, which provides shade for longer-lived young trees underneath. Polyscias elegans is also known as Celery wood, Mowbulan whitewood, Silver basswood and White sycamore.
Streblus brunonianus, known as the whalebone tree, is a small tree in the fig family. Commonly seen in a variety different types of rainforest, particularly by streams.
Ficus henneana is a strangler fig only occurring in Australia. Previously considered a variety of Ficus superba which occurs in China, Japan and parts of South East Asia. The cedar fig or deciduous fig grows in Australia from Milton, New South Wales to northern Queensland and the Northern Territory. The habitat is riverine, littoral or the drier forms of rainforest. The fruit is considered edible for humans, but it is not particularly palatable.
Polyscias murrayi, known as the pencil cedar, is a very common rainforest tree of eastern Australia.
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.
Aphananthe philippinensis is a common rainforest tree in the family Cannabaceae. In Australia it occurs from the Manning River in New South Wales to near Herberton in tropical Queensland. It was first described from the island of Luzon in the Philippines, hence the species name. The generic name of Aphananthe refers to insignificant flowers. This plant also occurs on the Solomon Islands and in Papua New Guinea
Drypetes deplanchei is a tree of eastern and northern Australia. It also occurs in New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island. The genus is derived from the Greek, dryppa meaning "olive fruit". The species named after Dr. Emile Deplanche, who collected this plant at New Caledonia. Common names include yellow tulip, grey boxwood, white myrtle, grey bark and yellow tulipwood.
Bridelia exaltata, known as the brush ironbark or scrub ironbark, is a tree of eastern Australia. It occurs in and on the margins of the drier rainforests. Also occurring by streams, often in association with the Black Bean, up to an elevation of 600 metres above sea level. It occurs from Seal Rocks, New South Wales to Maryborough, Queensland.
Endiandra muelleri is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Its habitat is in warm temperate rainforests on poorer soils. Distributed from the Allyn River in the Barrington Tops region in the south to Kroombit Tops to the north in central Queensland.
Alangium villosum subsp. polyosmoides is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It occurs on a variety of different soils and rainforests, relatively close to the coast. Found from Minmi near Newcastle to as far north as the McIlwraith Range in far north eastern Australia. It may be seen as a common understorey plant at Wingham Brush Nature Reserve.
Litsea bindoniana, known as the big-leaved bollywood is a rainforest tree in the laurel family. A small to medium-sized bushy tree endemic to the rainforests of tropical Queensland, Australia. It features large leaves with attractive yellow venation, 25 cm (10 in) long by 10 cm (4 in) wide. They are dark green above, and paler and somewhat hairy below. The leaf stalks are hairy. The small greenish flowers are fragrant and occur from March to May. They are followed by fruits which mature from September to October, being a black drupe. Regeneration is from fresh seed, after removing the fleshy aril around the seed.
Litsea leefeana, known as the brown bolly gum or brown bollywood is a rainforest tree in the laurel family. A small to medium-sized tree endemic to the rainforests of tropical Queensland, Australia.