Hard quandong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hard quandong |
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| Elaeocarpus obovatus growing at Watagans National Park, Australia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Elaeocarpus
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| Species: |
obovatus
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The Elaeocarpus obovatus is a tall rainforest tree. It is also known by names like hard quandong or whitewood. This tree grows in eastern Australia. You can find it from near Wyong in New South Wales up to Proserpine, Queensland in the warmer, northern parts.
This tree prefers tropical and sub-tropical rainforests. It is less common in drier rainforests or swampy areas. Sometimes, people call it blueberry ash. However, that name usually refers to a different, but related, tree called Elaeocarpus reticulatus.
Contents
What Does This Tree Look Like?
This is a very large and impressive tree. It can grow up to 45 metres (about 148 feet) tall. Its trunk can be as wide as 150 centimetres (about 5 feet) across. The outer bark is smooth and grey. It is also thin and has small, corky bumps.
Trunk and Leaves
The trunk of the Elaeocarpus obovatus is round. Larger trees have a very wide base, which helps support them. The leaves are oval or egg-shaped. They grow alternately along the branches. The upper two-thirds of each leaf has small teeth along its edge. You can easily see the main vein on both sides of the leaf. Other smaller veins are clearer on the underside.
Flowers and Fruit
White flowers appear on the tree from September to November. They grow in clusters. After the flowers, the tree produces fruit. The fruit is a blue, fleshy fruit called a drupe. It is 6 to 12 millimetres long. This fruit is oval or round. Inside, it has a hard centre with a single seed.
Reproduction and Growth
The fruits ripen from January to April. Like many Elaeocarpus trees in Australia, it can be hard to grow new trees from seeds. The seeds often take a long time to sprout. However, growing new trees from cuttings works much better.
- Floyd, A.G., Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, Inkata Press 1989, ISBN: 0-909605-57-2
Images for kids
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Leaves and immature fruit at Mount Mellum
See also
In Spanish: Elaeocarpus obovatus para niños
