Mongo
Sersalisia sericea, Fam. Sapotaceae
Shrub to small tree which frequently 'hosts' a bright red lichen. The bark exudes a small amount of milky exudate when cut. The species occurs as a prostrate or wind sheared low shrub in exposed coastal sites.
| Weed Category: | |
| Weed: | No |
| Form or habit: | Shrub, Small tree |
| Family: | Sapotaceae |
| Leaf: | Simple, alternate, entire, elliptic to obovate, up to about 6cm long but often much shorter. Dark green above with a dense cover of creamy brown hairs below, margin somewhat recurved. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
Cream |
| Flower description: | Axillary clusters or solitary small, bisexual, creamy flowers. Spring to winter |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Black, Purple |
| Fruit: | |
| Fruit description: | Purple black, fleshy, glabrous, oblong drupes, about 2 x 1xm, one seed per fruit. |
| Habitat: | Coastal dune, open forest, vine thicket, woodland. |
| Distribution | Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia. |
| Food source for: | Leaves eaten by the rock ringtail possum. |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Australia. |
| Notes: | An attractive, salt and wind tolerant plant. Grow from fresh seed. The fruit is edible and palatable. |
| Information sources: | Melzer R. & Plumb J. (2007) Plants of Capricornia. |
