Litsea reticulata

Last updated

Litsea reticulata
Litsea reticulata bark.jpg
Litsea reticulata bark at Coorabakh National Park, Australia
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Litsea
Species:
L. reticulata
Binomial name
Litsea reticulata
Synonyms

Tetranthera reticulata, Meisn.

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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Litsea reticulata was first described by Meisner in 1864 as Tetranthera reticulata, [1] before being given its current name by von Mueller in 1882. Common names include bolly gum, bolly beech, brown beech, brown bolly beech, sycamore, brown Bollywood, soft bollygum, and brown bollygum. [2]

Description

Litsea reticulata is a medium to large size tree, occasionally reaching 40 metres in height and a 150 cm in trunk diameter.

The bark is a grey, brown and scaly, with numerous depressions caused by the shedding of round scales of bark, colloquially known as "bollies".[ citation needed ] Exposed bark is a paler colour, giving the trunk a patchy appearance. Litsea reticulata are slightly buttressed or flanged at the base.

Leaves, flowers and fruit

The leaves are alternate, not toothed. 5 to 10 cm long, blunt or slightly pointed, the leaves are veiny underneath. Leaf stalks are 5 to 12 mm long.

Litsea reticulata is dioecious (male and female flowers are on separate trees). Flowers cream or green with pink. Flowering period is May to July.

The fruit matures from November to April, being a purple/black 14 mm long drupe, in a green cup shaped receptacle, with a single seed, 11 mm long.

Seed germination can be slow. [3] However, at other times, 60% germination result can be achieved within a month of sowing. The flesh should be removed from the fruit before sowing the seeds.

Fruit are eaten by many rainforest birds, including the wompoo fruit dove, catbird, topknot pigeon and white-headed pigeon.

Related Research Articles

<i>Atherosperma</i> Genus of trees

Atherosperma moschatum, the southern sassafras or blackheart sassafras, is an evergreen tree native to the cool temperate rainforests of Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales in Australia. It is common in the rainforests of Tasmania and Victoria, but more scattered and rare in the higher altitudes of eastern New South Wales. The northernmost area is at Mount Grundy, west of Port Macquarie.

<i>Gmelina leichhardtii</i> Species of tree

Gmelina leichhardtii, the white beech, is a tree of eastern Australia. Scattered individuals or small groups of trees naturally occur from the Illawarra district of New South Wales to near Proserpine in tropical Queensland. The white beech or grey teak is a fast-growing tree, growing on volcanic and alluvial soils in areas of moderate to high rainfall. It also grows on poorer sedimentary soils in fire free areas. White beech may occasionally be seen in Australian rainforests, though their status is considered "uncommon". Unlike the Australian red cedar, the white beech has not recovered particularly well after logging in the 19th and 20th centuries.

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

Cryptocarya microneura is a rainforest tree growing at the eastern coastal parts of Australia.

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

Cryptocarya glaucescens, commonly known as jackwood, is a rainforest tree of the laurel family growing in eastern Australia.

<i>Citronella moorei</i> Species of tree

Citronella moorei is a rainforest tree growing in eastern Australia. Common names for this species include churnwood, citronella, soapy box, silky beech, and corduroy.

<i>Beilschmiedia obtusifolia</i> Species of tree

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.

<i>Stenocarpus salignus</i> Species of tree in the family Proteaceae from New South Wales and Queensland

Stenocarpus salignus, known as the scrub beefwood is an Australian rainforest tree in the family Proteaceae. Found in warmer rainforests on the coast and ranges. It is often found in warm temperate rainforest on poorer sedimentary soils, or on volcanic soils above 750 metres above sea level. It was originally described by the botanist Robert Brown in 1810.

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

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.

<i>Stenocarpus sinuatus</i> Species of tree in the Protea family from New South Wales and Queensland

Stenocarpus sinuatus, known as the firewheel tree, is an Australian rainforest tree in the Proteaceae family. The range of natural distribution is in various rainforest types from the Nambucca River in New South Wales to the Atherton Tableland in tropical Queensland. Stenocarpus sinuatus is widely planted as an ornamental tree in other parts of Australia and in different parts of the world.

<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>Baloghia inophylla</i> Species of tree

Baloghia inophylla is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It is also known as the brush bloodwood, as it occurs in brushes,, as well as bloodwood, as the clear sap is blood red. Other common names include ivory birch and scrub bloodwood.

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

Backhousia leptopetala is a common Australian tree, growing from Stanwell Park in the northern Illawarra district to near Buderim in south eastern Queensland.

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

Cryptocarya triplinervis is a rainforest tree growing in eastern Australia. Common names include the three veined laurel, three veined cryptocarya and the brown laurel.

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

Cryptocarya bidwillii, the yellow laurel, is a small to medium-sized tree in the laurel family. Occurring in Australian rainforests from Nymboida in the state of New South Wales to Townsville in tropical Queensland. Often found in the dryer ridges in dry rainforest or in viney scrubs.

<i>Alchornea ilicifolia</i> Species of tree

Alchornea ilicifolia, commonly known as the native holly is a bush of eastern Australia. Growing in or on the edges of the drier rainforests, from Jamberoo, New South Wales to Atherton, Queensland.

<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>Decaspermum humile</i> Species of tree

Decaspermum humile, commonly known as the silky myrtle, is a tree from Australia and Asia. It can be used as bush food, as indicated by the alternate common name of currant myrtle. The tree features an attractive dark glossy crown. The new pink leaves with silvery hairs are particularly appealing.

<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>Pouteria eerwah</i>

Pouteria eerwah is a rare species of Australian rainforest tree in the family Sapotaceae. Common names include shiny-leaved condoo, black plum and wild apple. It is endemic to south eastern Queensland, with a restricted distribution and regarded as endangered. There is discussion whether this plant should remain named as Planchonella eerwah.

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

Litsea glutinosa is a rainforest tree in the laurel family, Lauraceae. Common names include soft bollygum, bolly beech, Bollywood, bollygum, brown bollygum, brown Bollywood, sycamore and brown beech.

References

  1. "Tetranthera reticulata Meisn". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  2. "Litsea reticulata (Meisn.) F.Muell". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  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. 193. ISBN   0-909605-57-2 . Retrieved 2010-02-14. (other publication details, included in citation)