Green kamala, woolly kamala
Mallotus mollissimus, Fam. Euphorbiaceae
Large shrub or small tree to 10m. Young shoots and leaves have a velvety cover of stellate hairs. From the Latin ‘mollis’ soft and the suffix meaning most or very, referring to the very soft foliage.
| Weed Category: | |
| Weed: | No |
| Form or habit: | Shrub, Small tree |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Leaf: | Simple, alternate, entire or toothed, broadly ovate to orbicular, 7-30 x 6-21cm. Base usually peltate. Underside covered in stellate hairs that often obscure the numerous minute, yellow glands. Petioles up to 23cm long. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
White, Green |
| Flower description: | Terminal panicles of white or green flowers. Any month of the year. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Brown, Green |
| Fruit: | |
| Fruit description: | Three lobed, green brown capsules, densely covered in rubbery ‘hairs’ up to about 1cm long. Any month of the year. |
| Habitat: | Littoral rainforest, rainforest. |
| Distribution | Queensland, New Guinea, Melanesia, Malesia. |
| Food source for: | Fruit eaten by the southern cassowary, figbird, pied currawong, slivereye and giant white tailed rat. |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Australia, New Guinea, Melanesia, Malesia. |
| Notes: | A treatment for dysentery has been produced by mixing the sap with coconut milk. |
| Information sources: | Melzer R. & Plumb J. (2007) Plants of Capricornia. |
