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Leptomeria acida R.Br.

Species

Angiosperms > Santalales > Santalaceae > Leptomeria

Characteristics

Erect shrub 1.5-3 m tall, glabrous. Stems striate, semi-terete; flowering branchlets 0.5-1.5 mm diam. Leaves slightly spreading, subulate to triangular, c. 2 mm long, caducous. Inflorescence a lateral raceme; rachis 1-4 cm long; flowers 20 or more, almost sessile; bracts ovate to acuminate, c. 1 mm long. Tepals up to 0.5 mm long, green-brown outside, darker inside; apex hooded to uncinate with adaxial thickening. Disc not lobed. Drupe ovoid, c. 7 mm long, fleshy.
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A small shrub. It grows 1.5-2 m high and spreads 1-2 m wide. It is partly parasitic on other plants. The small branches are angular but do not have spines. The leaves are very small and reduced to scales. The flowering stalks are 4 cm long. The flowers are very small. They are yellowish-brown. The fruit are 0.6-0.8 cm long and green. They are fleshy and acidic. The fruit turn red when ripe. There is one seed.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 1.0 - 2.0
Mature height (meter) 3.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a warm temperate to subtropical plant. It can grow in coastal heath and open forest. It needs well drained soil. It can grow in sun or light shade. They can stand heavy frost.
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Dry sclerophyll forest in sandy soil, often in sheltered sites; coastal districts west to the Blue Mountains. Heaths and woodlands, on sandy, infertile soils.
Light 4-9
Soil humidity 4-6
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked with sugar and made into jam or jelly. The green unripe fruit can be used.
Uses food medicinal
Edible fruits
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed. Plants grow attached to other plants.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leptomeria acida unspecified picture

Distribution

Leptomeria acida world distribution map, present in Australia

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:780301-1
WFO ID wfo-0000446109
COL ID 3TR9C
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Leptomeria acida
WorldFloraDB 2024