Cryptocarya laevigata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cryptocarya laevigata |
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| Glossy laurel | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cryptocarya
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| Species: |
laevigata
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| Synonyms | |
The Glossy Laurel (Cryptocarya laevigata) is a special plant. It's also called the Red-fruited Laurel. This plant grows in the rainforests of eastern Australia. You can find it from the Richmond River area in New South Wales all the way up to Cairns in sunny Queensland. It often grows alongside another tree called the White Booyong.
What Does It Look Like?
The Glossy Laurel is usually a shrub. Sometimes it can grow into a small tree. It can reach about 6 metres (nearly 20 feet) tall. Its trunk can be about 8 centimetres (3 inches) wide.
The bark on its trunk is brown and smooth. It might have some small bumps that stick out.
Leaves
The leaves grow in an alternating pattern along the stem. They are shaped like an oval with a pointed, but not sharp, tip. Their edges are smooth. The leaves are very shiny, both on the top and bottom.
Each leaf has a main vein down the middle. It also has two other veins that branch off near the base. This makes the leaf look like it has three main veins. Other smaller veins are hard to see.
Flowers and Fruit
Small, creamy-white flowers appear from October to December. They have a nice scent. These flowers grow in clusters called panicles.
After the flowers, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is a round, orange or red drupe. A drupe is a fleshy fruit with a hard pit inside, like a peach. Each fruit is about 15 millimetres (half an inch) across.
The fruit ripens between January and May. Inside the fruit is a single, hard seed. This seed is pointed and has clear ridges, just like many other seeds from the Cryptocarya plant family in Australia.
Growing New Plants
If you want to grow a new Glossy Laurel, it's a good idea to remove the slimy red coating around the seed. This coating is called an aril. Taking it off helps the seed sprout. Roots and shoots usually start to appear within three to twelve months.
How Is It Used?
The Glossy Laurel has beautiful shiny leaves. It stays a small size, and its bright red fruit is very attractive. Because of these features, it makes a great ornamental tree. People often plant it in gardens for its beauty.
