WorldFloraDB - Pittosporum crassifolium

Characteristics

Shrub or small tree to 9 m high. Young stems densely whitish or buff tomentose. Leaves alternate to whorled; lamina obovate to oblanceolate, (30–) 40–70 (–90) mm long, 10–20 (–25) mm wide, cuneate, bluntly acute to obtuse, coriaceous, upper surface early pubescent, soon glabrescent, grey-green, lower (abaxial) surface densely whitish or buff tomentose; margin entire, revolute, not undulate; petiole 5–15 (–20) mm long, densely white-tomentose. Inflorescence terminal, subumbellate, 4–10-flowered; bracts absent. Flowers squat-campanulate, fragrant. Sepals lanceolate to subulate, 3–7 mm long, tapered at apex, tomentose. Petals narrowly oblong, 12–15 mm long, free for most of their length, obtuse, with tips strongly curled back, dark burgundy red to deep red (rarely white in New Zealand?). Stamens c. 8 mm long. Ovary c. 4 mm long, densely tomentose. Capsule spheroidal or obloid and smoothly trigonous, 15–25 mm long, pale grey-green, densely tomentose, rugulose; valves 3 (4), thick, woody. Seeds numerous, c. 4 mm diam., black; pulp sticky.

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Shrub or tree up to 9 m. tall, bark dark brown; branches erect to ascending, sts almost fastigiate; branchlets, lvs below, petioles and peduncles densely clad in white to buff subappressed tomentum (sts ferruginous in aged herbarium specimens). Lvs alt., very coriac., lamina 5-7-(10) × 2-2.5 cm., on stout petioles up to 2 cm. long, obovate-cuneate to obovate-elliptic to narrow-obovate, margins revolute. Fls functionally unisexual, in terminal umbels of 5-10 ♂ or 1-2 ♀. Sepals subulate to oblong-lanceolate, tapering, tomentose, c. 6 mm. long, petals narrow-oblong, c. 1 cm. long, dark red. Capsules subglobose to ovoid, tomentose, 2-3 cm. long, on stout decurved peduncles up to 1·5 cm. long; valves 3 or rarely 4, thick, woody.

Cultivated tree, 1-4 m high. Leaves coriaceous, obovate, base acute, apex broadly acute to rounded, margins revolute; petioles up to 10 mm long. Flowers wine-red. Fruit dark brown, larger than that of indigenous species.

Life form	perennial
Growth form
Growth support	free-standing
Foliage retention	evergreen
Sexuality	monoecy
Pollination	-
Spread	-
Mature width (meter)	3.0
Mature height (meter)	5.0
Root system	-
Rooting depth (meter)	-
Root diameter (meter)	-
Flower color
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Fruit color
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Nitrogen fixer	-
Photosynthetic pathway	c3

Environment

In Australia, mostly recorded from coastal scrubs (sclerophyll shrubland/woodland types), in sandy soils; in South Gippsland area (Victoria), recorded from Eucalyptus obliqua-E. radiata forest with Melaleuca ericifolia thickets.

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Forest margins and by streams, usually by the coast.

Light
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Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

Sometimes cultivated in coastal areas as an ornamental, especially for hedging and as a shelter plant. Includes cultivars such as the compact form Pittosporum crassifolium 'Compacta' and a compact form with variegated leaves 'Variegatum'.

Uses	dye environmental use material ornamental wood
Edible	-
Therapeutic use	-
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.

Mode	cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days)	-
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Optimum temperature (C°)	-
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