Litsea australis

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Litsea australis
Laurel leaves with venation.jpg
Brown bollygum
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
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]

Contents

Description

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]

Food plant

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]

Blue Triangle Butterfly Gsarpedon.jpg
Blue Triangle Butterfly

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

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<i>Aphananthe philippinensis</i> Species of tree

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<i>Bridelia exaltata</i> Species of tree

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<i>Alangium villosum <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> polyosmoides</i> Subspecies of tree

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.

<i>Litsea bindoniana</i> Species of tree

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.

<i>Litsea leefeana</i> Species of tree

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.

References

  1. "Litsea australis". PlantNet New South Wales Flora Online; author G.J. Harden. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
  2. 1 2 3 Floyd, A. G. (2008). Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia (2nd, Revised ed.). Lismore, New South Wales: Terania Rainforest Publishing. p. 200. ISBN   978-0-958943-67-3 . Retrieved 2017-03-31.
  3. "Philiris fulgens". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
  4. "Blue Triangle Butterfly". Butterfly Host Plants.com.au. Retrieved 2017-03-31.