Slender shrub to small tree, between 3m and 5m high.
Weed Category:
Weed:
No
Form or habit:
Shrub, Small tree
Family:
Lamiaceae
Leaf:
Simple Opposite Entire, narrow to broad, ovate to elliptic, 4-8 x 2-12cm, petioles with purple tint, glabrous.
Flower conspicuous:
Conspicuous
Flower colour:
White
Flower description:
White, scented, cymes in upper leaf axil or terminal, tubular flowers approximately 0.8cm in diameter, flowering period mainly August to October.
Fruit conspicuous:
Conspicuous
Fruit colour:
Black, Blue
Fruit:
Fleshy
Fruit description:
Blue black, fleshy, globular, shiny drupe in an enlarged red calyx, March to December.
Habitat:
Gallery (Riverine or riparian) forest,Woodland/ open forest,Beach Scrub/Littoral Rainforest,Beach strand/ coastal dune
Distribution
Queensland, Northern Territory and New South Wales
Food source for:
Birds are attracted to the fruit (green cat bird, satin bowerbird), provides for the larval stage of the fiery-jewel and black spotted flash butterflies and the sandal-box hawk moth.
Toxicity:
Toxic if ingested
Origin:
Australia
Notes:
Aboriginal people ate the root of this plant.
Information sources:
Beasley J. (2009) Plants of Cape York: The Compact Guide., Melzer R. & Plumb J. (2007) Plants of Capricornia., Townsend K. & the Society for Growing Australian Plant Townsville Branch Inc. (1994) Across the Top: Gardening with Australian Plants in the tropics.
