Characteristics
A small tree. It grows 5-25 m high. The trunk is straight. The leaves are smooth, alternate and leathery. The young leaves are prominent teeth and older leaves are more smooth. They can be wavy at the edge. The leaves are 0.8-15 cm long by 0.6-6 cm wide. Male and female flowers are on separate trees. The flowers are usually in clusters. They are 4-6 mm across. There are no petals but 4 or 5 sepals that can be green, white or yellow. The fruit are oval and red when ripe. They are 1-2 cm long and 0.8-1.1 cm wide. The flesh inside is yellow. There is one seed.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
tree
|
| Growth support |
free-standing
|
| Foliage retention |
evergreen
|
| Sexuality |
dioecy
|
| Pollination |
-
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
5.0 - 25.0
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
-
|
| Blooming months |
-
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
c3
|
Environment
It is a tropical plant. It grows in monsoon vine forests in coastal areas. In tropical Australia it grows from sea level to 800 m altitude. Mt Cootha Botanical Gardens. It is native to coastal rainforests in Australia. They suit hardiness zones 9-11.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The oval fruit are eaten when ripe. The leaves are used to flavour seafood dishes.
| Uses |
-
|
| Edible
|
fruits
leaves
|
| Therapeutic use
|
-
|
| Human toxicity |
-
|
| Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Plants can be grown from fresh seed.
| 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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