Blush walnut
Beilschmiedia obtusifolia, Fam. Lauraceae
Medium to large tree with a dense crown, cylindrical trunk, occasionally flanged at the base or buttressed in large trees and brown, rarely creamy, smooth bark with shallow fissuring to slightly scaly, shed in irregular or rounded patches. From the Latin 'obtusus' blunt and 'folium' leaf, referring to the blunt leaf tips.
| Weed Category: | |
| Weed: | No |
| Form or habit: | Med tree, Large Tree |
| Family: | Lauraceae |
| Leaf: | Simple, alternate, sometimes somewhat clustered, oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 7-17 x 2-6cm. Margins entire but wavy, upper surface green, very glossy and glabrous, underside green, clothed in straight, appressed white and pale brown hairs only when very young, otherwise glabrous. Oil dots minute, domatia absent. Midrib raised both sides. Eight to 13 pairs of primary veins which curve inside the margin, usually without conspicuous forking and usually not forming conspicuous loops. Turn yellow prior to shedding. Petiole 5-22mm long. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
Yellow, Cream, Green |
| Flower description: | Axillary or pseudo-terminal panicles of small, bisexual, cream to creamy green or yellow flowers with an unpleasant odour. October to June. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Black |
| Fruit: | |
| Fruit description: | Ellipsoid drupes, 1.8-2.4 x 1.1-1.5cm, black when ripe. Pulp is green, fleshy, sticky, oily and aromatic. December to July. |
| Habitat: | Littoral rainforest, rainforest. |
| Distribution | Queensland, New South Wales. |
| Food source for: | Fruit eaten by the pied imperial and topknot pigeons, rose crowned and wompoo fruit doves, green and spotted catbirds, golden and tooth billed bowerbirds and figbird. Larval food plant of the blue triangle butterfly. |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Australia. |
| Notes: | Germinate from fresh seed, remove flesh prior to sowing. Seed germinate within 20 to 65 days. Dull pink, fine grained timber. |
| Information sources: | Melzer R. & Plumb J. (2007) Plants of Capricornia. |
