Messmate
Lophostemon suaveolens, Fam. Myrtaceae
Small to medium tree often with gnarled branches and an open crown. Brown or grey, soft, rough and fibrous bark over the whole truck and on all the branches.
| Weed Category: | |
| Weed: | No |
| Form or habit: | Small tree, Med tree |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Leaf: | Simple, alternate, ovate to elliptic, 8-13 x 4-5cm; discolourous, light green above and paler below. Petioles hairy and exude milky latex when cut. New growth hairy and smells like geraniums when crushed. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
White, Cream |
| Flower description: | Cymes of about seven creamy white flowers, stamens united into five bundles that alternate with the petals. Flowers have a slightly sickly sweet smell that is most noticeable at night. Any month of the year. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Brown, Green |
| Fruit: | |
| Fruit description: | Green turning brown capsules, hemispherical, three valved and thin walled, up to about 0.5-0.7cm. Summer. |
| Habitat: | Open forest, rainforest, wetland, woodland. |
| Distribution | Queensland, New South Wales, New Guinea, Malesia. |
| Food source for: | Flowers eaten by the black flying fox, grey headed flying fox and rainbow lorikeet. Nectar eaten by the rainbow lorikeet and the banded, brown backed, Eungella and white streaked honeyeaters. Larval food plant of the ornate dusk-flat, coral jewel, Narcissus jewel and fiery jewel butterflies and of the moths Aenetus ligniveren (common splendid ghost moth), Agriophara levis, Callizyga sp. (undescribed), Chrysonoma fascialis, Doratifera vulnerans (mottled cup moth), Hyalarcta huebneri (leaf case moth), Hyalarcta nigrescens (ribbed case moth), Macarostola polyplaca, Panacela lewinae (Lewin's bag-shelter moth), Piloprepes gelidella, Stigmella anazona and Pectinivalva spp. Larvae of the moth Cryptophasa epadelpha feed in the stems and branches. |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Australia, New Guinea, Malesia. |
| Notes: | Grow from seed. Yields a similar honey to that of L. confertus. Some Aboriginal communities used the bark to make canoes. Timber is dark red, fine grained and very durable. |
| Information sources: | Melzer R. & Plumb J. (2007) Plants of Capricornia. |
