Yellow tulipwood
Drypetes deplanchei, Fam. Euphorbiaceae
Small to medium tree with an attractive crown of glossy dark green leaves and patchy grey and white bark, flaky or scaly on large trees, scales shed in irregular patches. Separate male and female trees.
| Weed Category: | |
| Weed: | No |
| Form or habit: | Small tree, Med tree |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Leaf: | Simple, alternate, stiff, leathery, elliptic, ovate-elliptic or oblong, 0.8-15 x 0.6-6cm, dark green above, paler green below with conspicuous reticulate venation. Adult leaves toothed to entire, juveniles sharply toothed. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
Yellow, Brown |
| Flower description: | Yellow brown flowers solitary or in small clusters in leaf axils. August to April. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Orange, Red |
| Fruit: | |
| Fruit description: | Orange red, fleshy, ellipsoid drupes, 1-2.5 x 0.7-1.5cm. Any month. |
| Habitat: | Rainforest. |
| Distribution | Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Western Australia, New Guinea, Melanesia. |
| Food source for: | Fruit eaten by the wompoo fruit dove, topknot pigeon, pied imperial pigeon, emerald dove, Lewin’s honeyeater and the regent and satin bowerbirds. Larval food plant of the yellow albatross butterfly. |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Australia, New Guinea, Melanesia. |
| Notes: | Bird dispersed. Produces large fruit crops. Fruit were eaten raw by Aboriginal people and the leaves were used in cooking to sweeten meat. Grow from fresh seed, germination may be slow. |
| Information sources: | Melzer R. & Plumb J. (2007) Plants of Capricornia. |
