Cryptocarya glaucescens
Encyclopedia
Cryptocarya glaucescens, known as the Jackwood is a rainforest
tree growing in eastern Australia
.
in his 1810 work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae. Common names include Jackwood, Native Laurel, Brown Beech, Brown Laurel, Bolly Laurel and Silver Sycamore.
. The trunk may or may not be cylindrical, and the base is usually buttressed in large trees.
Leaves are alternate and elliptical, 6 to 13 mm long. Upper surface green, underside a glaucous
bluish grey. Hence the species name of Cryptocarya glaucescens. Midrib and lateral nerves and net veins are visible on both sides of the leaf, but more obvious beneath.
s. These panicles may be shorter or longer than the leaves.
The fruit is a drupe
. Black and shiny, of an appealing oblong or spherical shape. With vertical lines and wrinkles. 18 mm long and 15 mm deep. The aril
has a unique, tangy and pleasant scent. Fruit eaten by rainforest birds including the Topknot Pigeon
. Fruit ripe from March to June.
Unlike most Australian Cryptocarya
fruit, removal of the fleshy aril
is not particularly advised to assist seed germination, as the aril
is so thin. Roots and shoots usually appear within three to six months.
to Eungella National Park
(20° S), in tropical Queensland
.
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
tree growing in eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
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Taxonomy
Cryptocarya glaucescens was one of the many species first described by Scottish botanist Robert BrownRobert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
in his 1810 work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae. Common names include Jackwood, Native Laurel, Brown Beech, Brown Laurel, Bolly Laurel and Silver Sycamore.
Description
Cryptocarya glaucescens is a medium sized tree to 35 metres tall and 90 cm in trunk diameter.Bark, trunk & leaves
The bark is dark brown or reddish brown and often scaly. Surface not smooth with many irregularities. Bark can contain circular depressions, colloquially known as "bollies", which are also seen in the related laurel, Litsea reticulataLitsea reticulata
Litsea reticulata is a common Australian tree, growing from near Milton, New South Wales to the Bunya Mountains, Queensland. Common names include Bollygum, Bolly Wood and Brown Beech...
. The trunk may or may not be cylindrical, and the base is usually buttressed in large trees.
Leaves are alternate and elliptical, 6 to 13 mm long. Upper surface green, underside a glaucous
Glaucous
Glaucous is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the Glaucous Gull , Glaucous-winged Gull , Glaucous Macaw , and Glaucous...
bluish grey. Hence the species name of Cryptocarya glaucescens. Midrib and lateral nerves and net veins are visible on both sides of the leaf, but more obvious beneath.
Flowers, fruit & germination
Flowers appear from October to December, being cream or pale green. Flowers are small and numerous in paniclePanicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
s. These panicles may be shorter or longer than the leaves.
The fruit is a drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
. Black and shiny, of an appealing oblong or spherical shape. With vertical lines and wrinkles. 18 mm long and 15 mm deep. The aril
Aril
An aril is any specialized outgrowth from the funiculus that covers or is attached to the seed. It is sometimes applied to any appendage or thickening of the seed coat in flowering plants, such as the edible parts of the mangosteen and pomegranate fruit, the mace of the nutmeg seed, or the...
has a unique, tangy and pleasant scent. Fruit eaten by rainforest birds including the Topknot Pigeon
Topknot Pigeon
The Topknot Pigeon is a pigeon native to Australia. It is also known by the name of "Flock Pigeon".-Description:...
. Fruit ripe from March to June.
Unlike most Australian Cryptocarya
Cryptocarya
Cryptocarya is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes more than 350 species, distributed through the Neotropic, Afrotropic, Indomalaya, and Australasia ecozones.-Overview:...
fruit, removal of the fleshy aril
Aril
An aril is any specialized outgrowth from the funiculus that covers or is attached to the seed. It is sometimes applied to any appendage or thickening of the seed coat in flowering plants, such as the edible parts of the mangosteen and pomegranate fruit, the mace of the nutmeg seed, or the...
is not particularly advised to assist seed germination, as the aril
Aril
An aril is any specialized outgrowth from the funiculus that covers or is attached to the seed. It is sometimes applied to any appendage or thickening of the seed coat in flowering plants, such as the edible parts of the mangosteen and pomegranate fruit, the mace of the nutmeg seed, or the...
is so thin. Roots and shoots usually appear within three to six months.
Distribution and habitat
Very common in warm temperate rainforest areas, but often seen in the other rainforest types. It grows from Mount Dromedary (36° S) in southern New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
to Eungella National Park
Eungella National Park
Eungella is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 80 km west of Mackay, and 858 km northwest of Brisbane. The original inhabitants are the Goreng goreng people. The park is covered by dense rainforest and is known for its platypuses.The national park was established in 1941 and is...
(20° S), in tropical Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.