Characteristics
A prickly shrub about 2 m high. It often has many stems. It grows 2-4 m high and spreads 1-2 m wide. The branches are spiny. The leaves are 0.5-1.2 cm long by 0.3-0.5 cm wide. They are sword shaped and thin textured. The male and female flowers are on separate plants. The flowers are 0.4 cm long. The occur singly on the ends of short branches. They are green. The fruit is fleshy with a hard stone inside. It is 0.5-0.8 cm long and bright red.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
tree
|
| Growth support |
free-standing
|
| Foliage retention |
evergreen
|
| Sexuality |
-
|
| Pollination |
-
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
1.0 - 2.0
|
| Mature height (meter) |
2.0 - 4.0
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
-
|
| Blooming months |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | | Apr | May | Jun | | Jul | Aug | Sep | | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
c3
|
Environment
It is a temperate plant. It occurs in cool, moist forests and gullies. In Tasmania it grows from sea level to 500 m altitude. It is drought and frost resistant. On Mt Roland. It suits hardiness zones 8-10. Melbourne Botanical Gardens. Tasmania Herbarium. Arboretum Tasmania.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The fruit can be used in puddings, pies, cakes and tarts. They are astringent and slightly sweet.
| Uses |
-
|
| Edible
|
fruits
seeds
|
| Therapeutic use
|
-
|
| Human toxicity |
-
|
| Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Plants can be grown from seed or stem cuttings.
| Mode |
seedlings
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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