Pear fruited tamarind | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Sapindales |
Family: | Sapindaceae |
Genus: | Mischocarpus |
Species: | M. pyriformis |
Binomial name | |
Mischocarpus pyriformis | |
Synonyms | |
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. [1]
The habitat is rainforest by streams or near the ocean, also found in dry rainforest. The generic name Mischocarpus refers to the stalk tapering into the top part of the fruit. "Pear shaped" is the translation of the species name pyriformis.
A tree to 18 metres tall with a trunk diameter of 50 cm. An attractive small tree with appealing glossy foliage. The trunk is usually seen as cylindrical, but other times irregular in shape. Bark is varying shades of grey, mostly smooth apart from raised bumps or pustules. Small branches thick and smooth, a brown or greenish brown colour.
Compound leaves are 8 to 30 cm long. Containing 4 to 9 leaflets. Leaflets glossy, without teeth, ovate to ovate lanceolate in shape, usually 2 to 15 cm long and 2 to 6 cm wide. [2] Leaf veins noticeable on both sides of the leaf, more evident below. Many net veins will be seen.
Scented cream coloured flowers form on panicles from February to April. The yellow pear shaped capsule is on a stalk 6 mm long. It matures from October to December. The capsule usually contains two black ovate shaped seeds, 9 mm long. Surrounded by red aril. Fruit eaten by the Lewin's honeyeater and other birds. Not all fruit capsules contain seeds. Fresh seeds germinate quickly and reliably. Though dormant seeds may continue to germinate after three months.
Backhousia sciadophora is a common Australian tree, growing from near Dungog in New South Wales to near Kilcoy in southeast Queensland. Common names include shatterwood, ironwood, boomerang tree and Curracabark. The habitat of shatterwood is drier areas of rainforest in gorges and steep slopes, usually not on volcanic soils.
Endiandra sieberi, known as the corkwood is a rainforest tree 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.
Polyscias murrayi, known as the pencil cedar, is a very common rainforest tree of eastern Australia.
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.
Polyscias sambucifolia, commonly known as elderberry panax or small basswood, is a species of plant native to eastern Australia.
Daphnandra johnsonii, also known as the Illawarra socketwood, is a rare rainforest tree in the Illawarra district of eastern Australia.
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.
Denhamia silvestris is a shrub or small tree growing from Picton, New South Wales to Kroombit Tops, near Gladstone, Queensland. It occurs in dry rainforest, eucalyptus and rainforest ecotone areas. Common names include narrow leaved orangebark, orange bush and orange bark.
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.
Mallotus philippensis is a plant in the spurge family. It is known as the kamala tree or red kamala or kumkum tree, due to the fruit covering, which produces a red dye. However, it must be distinguished from kamala meaning "lotus" in many Indian languages, an unrelated plant, flower, and sometimes metonymic spiritual or artistic concept. Mallotus philippensis has many other local names. This kamala often appears in rainforest margins. Or in disturbed areas free from fire, in moderate to high rainfall areas.
Capparis arborea is a bush or small tree occurring in eastern Australia. Its habitat is rainforest, usually riverine, littoral or the drier rainforests. It is distributed from the Hunter River, New South Wales to Cape Melville in tropical Queensland. Common names include native pomegranate, wild lime, wild lemon and brush caper berry. Capparis arborea is a host plant for the caper white , which migrate across the eastern seaboard in large numbers in the summer. It also feeds the chalky white
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.
Baloghia marmorata is a rare rainforest plant of eastern Australia. It is commonly known as the marbled baloghia.
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.
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 seaside rainforests. It occurs from the Orara River in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, extending up to Maryborough in southeast Queensland.
Didymocheton rufus is a rainforest tree in the family Meliaceae, found in eastern Australia. It occurs on a variety of different soils and rainforest types. From as far south as Bulahdelah, New South Wales to the McIlwraith Range in far north eastern Australia. The specific epithet rufus refers to the rusty red of the leaf, fruit and flower hairs of this species.
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.
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.
Neolitsea australiensis, also known as the green bolly gum, is an Australian rainforest tree, in the laurel family. The specific epithet is derived from "Australia", and the Latin "ensis"; meaning "native of Australia".