Acid berry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acid berry |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acronychia
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| Species: |
aberrans
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Acronychia aberrans, often called acid berry, lemon aspen, plasticine tree, or plasticene aspen, is a medium-sized rainforest tree. It is found only in north-eastern Queensland, Australia. This tree has simple leaves and small groups of flowers that grow where the leaves meet the stem. It also produces fleshy, round fruits.
What Does It Look Like?
The acid berry tree can grow up to 10 meters (about 33 feet) tall. Its leafy branches often look a bit squished, almost like they've been molded from plasticine!
The leaves are simple and shaped like an oval or an egg, usually 60 to 230 millimeters (2.4 to 9.1 inches) long and 30 to 103 millimeters (1.2 to 4.1 inches) wide. They grow on a stalk called a petiole, which is 15 to 55 millimeters (0.6 to 2.2 inches) long.
Its small flowers grow in clusters, each about 30 to 40 millimeters (1.2 to 1.6 inches) long. Each flower sits on a tiny stalk. The flowers have four petals, which are 7 to 9 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long, and eight stamens (the parts that make pollen).
Acid berry trees usually flower from February to April. After flowering, they produce round or pear-shaped fruits that are juicy, about 13 to 16 millimeters (0.5 to 0.6 inches) long.
How Was It Named?
The acid berry was first officially described in 1974 by a scientist named Thomas Gordon Hartley. He wrote about it in a scientific journal after studying samples collected by Bernard Hyland from the Atherton Tableland.
Its scientific name, aberrans, means 'unusual'. This refers to the unique, squarish shape of its branches.
Where Does It Grow?
You can find this tree growing in the rainforests of north-eastern Queensland, Australia. It lives in areas like the Mount Spurgeon National Park and the Atherton Tableland. It grows at different heights, from about 100 meters (330 feet) to 720 meters (2,360 feet) above sea level.
Is It Endangered?
The acid berry is considered to be of "least concern" by the Queensland Government under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing and its population is stable.
