Cryptocarya rigida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cryptocarya rigida |
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| Cryptocarya rigida, leaves & fruit | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cryptocarya
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| Species: |
rigida
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| Synonyms | |
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Cryptocarya patentinervis F.Muell. |
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Cryptocarya rigida is a small tree or shrub. It grows in places with lots of rain. You can find it in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. A scientist named Carl Meissner first described this plant in 1864. It used to grow in the Illawarra region but is now gone from there.
Contents
Where Does the Rose Maple Grow?
This plant is often found near rainforests. It also grows where rainforests meet eucalyptus forests. It usually prefers poorer soils at the edge of these forests. You can find it from Wyong in New South Wales up to the border of Queensland. This area includes the McPherson Range.
What Does the Rose Maple Look Like?
Cryptocarya rigida is also known as the rose maple or forest maple. It can grow up to ten metres tall. Its trunk can be about 20 centimetres wide.
Bark and Leaves
The bark of the rose maple is grey. It has a thin, corky layer. Its leaves are simple and smooth. They are often widest at the bottom. Each leaf is usually 6 to 13 centimetres long. They taper to a long, pointed tip. The top side of the leaf is green. The underside is pale, almost white. The main vein in the leaf is hairy. It is grooved on the top and raised on the bottom.
Flowers and Fruit
Cream-coloured flowers appear from June to October. They do not have a smell. These flowers are fuzzy and grow in clusters. Each cluster is about 1 to 2.5 centimetres long.
The fruit is a type of drupe. When ripe, it is shiny and bluish-black. The fruit is oval-shaped and often has a point. It is about 11 to 15 millimetres wide. It is also 21 to 24 millimetres long. Each fruit holds a single seed inside.
Growing New Plants
To help the seeds grow, it is best to remove the fleshy part around them. This is true for most Australian Cryptocarya fruits. Growing new Cryptocarya rigida plants from seeds can be slow. However, it usually works well.
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Cryptocarya rigida − underside of leaves
