Rhodamnia rubescens
Encyclopedia
Rhodamnia rubescens (Scrub Stringybark, Brush Turpentine, Brown Malletwood) is a rainforest
tree of eastern Australia
. Identified by a stringy type of bark and three veined leaves, it grows in a variety of different rainforests from the Batemans Bay region (35° S) of southeastern New South Wales
to Gympie
(27° S) in southeastern Queensland
. It is not seen in the cool temperate rainforests.
. Its base is channelled, fluted or somewhat buttressed.
The leaves are simple, not toothed, opposite on the stem, pointed, elliptical in shape, and around 5 to 10 cm (2 to 3.9 in) long. They are clearly three veined with net venation visible on both sides, downy underneath and have a greyish colour. The oil dots are transparent and visible with a hand lens. The tree's small branches are scaly with the same reddish bark as the trunk; the new shoots are covered in minute hairs.
White fragrant flowers form on panicled cymes
from August to October. The fruit is a small berry
, initially red then turning to shiny black as it matures from October to December. The berries can measure up to 6 millimetre (0.236220472440945 in) in diameter. The fruit is eaten by various birds, including the Brown Cuckoo Dove, Figbird
, Green Catbird
and Rainbow Lorikeet
. Removing the seed from the fleshy aril
is advised to assist germination.
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
tree of 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...
. Identified by a stringy type of bark and three veined leaves, it grows in a variety of different rainforests from the Batemans Bay region (35° S) of southeastern New South Wales
New 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 Gympie
Gympie
Gympie may refer to:* Gympie, a city in Queensland, Australia** Gympie Airport** Electoral district of Gympie** Gympie Region, its local government authority* Gympie Gympie , a stinging plant...
(27° S) in southeastern 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...
. It is not seen in the cool temperate rainforests.
Description
This small to medium tree can attain a height of up to 25 metres (82 ft) and a trunk diameter of 75 centimetres (30 in). It produces a bark that is reddish brown, brittle, scaly and "stringy", similar to the turpentineSyncarpia glomulifera
Syncarpia glomulifera is a tree native to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia, which can grow to more than 30 metres in height...
. Its base is channelled, fluted or somewhat buttressed.
The leaves are simple, not toothed, opposite on the stem, pointed, elliptical in shape, and around 5 to 10 cm (2 to 3.9 in) long. They are clearly three veined with net venation visible on both sides, downy underneath and have a greyish colour. The oil dots are transparent and visible with a hand lens. The tree's small branches are scaly with the same reddish bark as the trunk; the new shoots are covered in minute hairs.
White fragrant flowers form on panicled cymes
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
from August to October. The fruit is a small berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
, initially red then turning to shiny black as it matures from October to December. The berries can measure up to 6 millimetre (0.236220472440945 in) in diameter. The fruit is eaten by various birds, including the Brown Cuckoo Dove, Figbird
Figbird
The figbirds are a genus of orioles found in wooded habitats in Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Lesser Sundas. The three species have been considered conspecific, but today all major authorities consider them as separate species. The split is primarily based on differences in measurements and...
, Green Catbird
Green Catbird
The Green Catbird, Ailuroedus crassirostris is a species of bowerbird found on subtropical forests along the east coast of Australia, from southeastern Queensland to southern New South Wales. Its colouring is emerald green, with faint black markings on the face and white streaks on the neck.Green...
and Rainbow Lorikeet
Rainbow Lorikeet
The Rainbow Lorikeet, is a species of Australasian parrot found in Australia, eastern Indonesia , Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. In Australia, it is common along the eastern seaboard, from Queensland to South Australia and northwest Tasmania...
. Removing the seed from 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 advised to assist germination.