Shrub or small tree to about 10m with light to dark grey black, rough, flaky to tessellated bark.
Weed Category: | |
Weed: | No |
Form or habit: | Shrub, Small tree |
Family: | Rubiaceae |
Leaf: | Simple, opposite, entire, ovate to elliptic, 6-15cm long, glabrous or with silky hairs along veins and below, hairy domatia present. Young shoots often silky hairy. Stipules long, membranous, interpetiolar and leave a scar when shed. |
Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
Flower colour: |
White |
Flower description: | Small, white, silky hairy, fragrant flowers solitary or in small clusters. Mostly spring. |
Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
Fruit colour: |
Brown |
Fruit: | |
Fruit description: | Brown, globose, about 1.3cm in diameter with a persistent calyx. |
Habitat: | Gallery (riverine or riparian) forest, littoral rainforest, rainforest. |
Distribution | Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, New Guinea, Melanesia, Malesia, Asia. |
Food source for: | Fruit eaten by the northern and southern blossom bats. Nectar eaten by the dusky honeyeater. Larval food plant of the moths Coscinocera (Hercules moth) and Syntherata janetta. |
Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
Origin: | Australia, New Guinea, Melanesia, Malesia, Asia. |
Notes: | Grow from seed. Some Aboriginal communities drank an infusion from the inner bark to combat colds, influenza and fevers, sore eyes were treated with a concoction from the wood. |
Information sources: | Melzer R. & Plumb J. (2007) Plants of Capricornia. |