Muttonwood

Myrsine variabilis, Fam. Myrsinaceae

Formerly known as Rapanea variabilis, muttonwood is a bushy shrub to small tree with a dense canopy and straight grey-barked trunk. Plants may sucker from the roots if damaged.


Weed Category:
Weed:	No
Form or habit:	Shrub, Small tree
Family:	Myrsinaceae
Leaf:	Simple Alternate Alternate, leathery textured, variable in shape (variabilis); mostly obovate, 3-12 x 1-4cm, rounded or bluntly pointed at the apex and tapering into a short, sometimes purplish, stalk; strongly veined; margins wavy and generally coarsely toothed on young plants. Some teeth may be present on older plants though this is seldom evident in the central coast areas. All members of the Myrsinaceae family have oil dots and the distinctive reddish dots of this species can be seen with a x10 hand lens, especially in dried brown leaves.
Flower conspicuous:	Conspicuous
Flower colour:	White, Cream, Green
Flower description:	Tiny greenish-cream bell shaped flowers clustered along the branches usually with functional male and female flowers on separate plants. June to September.
Fruit conspicuous:	Conspicuous
Fruit colour:	Purple
Fruit:	Fleshy
Fruit description:	Small, purple when mature, fleshy, globular drupes, 4-5mm in diameter, and contain one round ‘seed’. November to March
Habitat:	Beach scrub, littoral rainforest.
Distribution	Eastern Australia from McIlwraith Range in North Queensland to south coast of NSW. Common in beach scrubs throughout this region and occurs well beyond coastal habitats as it is the most widespread Australian species.
Food source for:	It is the larval food plant of the white-banded line-blue butterfly and its fruits are commonly eaten by fruit doves, lorikeets and fig birds.
Toxicity:	No toxicity known
Origin:	Australia
Notes:
Information sources:	Jackes B.R. Revision of Myrsine (Myrsinaceae) in Australia. Australian Systematic Botany 18, 399-438 (2005)., Society for Growing Australian Plants. Mackay Branch. (1989). One hundred and one trees of Mackay.