Endiandra hayesii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Endiandra hayesii |
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| Genus: |
Endiandra
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| Species: |
hayesii
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Endiandra hayesii is a special tree from the rainforests of Australia. It's often called the rusty rose walnut because of its reddish-brown hairs and wood. But don't let the name fool you! This tree is actually part of the Laurel family, so it's not related to the walnuts you might eat.
This tree is quite rare today. Much of its original home, the lowland subtropical rainforests, has been cleared. You can still find some of these trees growing in cool, protected valleys. They grow from the Richmond River, New South Wales in New South Wales up to Burleigh Heads, Queensland in Queensland. The tree is named after H.C. Hayes, who first collected it at Minyon Falls.
What the Rusty Rose Walnut Looks Like
This tree is usually small and a bit crooked. But in places like Minyon Falls, you can find really tall ones! Some reach up to 35 meters (about 115 feet) high. Their trunks can be as wide as 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) across. Smaller trees usually have straight trunks. Larger trees have wider bases, called buttresses, which help support them.
The bark of the rusty rose walnut is mostly smooth. It might have a few scales and is usually grey or grey-brown. The small branches have rusty brown hairs on them. You can also spot furry yellow buds on the leaves.
The leaves are about 6 to 12 centimeters (2.4 to 4.7 inches) long. They are also 3 to 6 centimeters (1.2 to 2.4 inches) wide. The leaves feel a bit hairy and look dull, especially on the underside. You can see reddish-brown hairs on them. The leaf stems are also hairy and are about 5 to 10 millimeters long. The underside of the leaves has clear veins.
Flowers and Fruit
The rusty rose walnut produces greenish-white flowers. These flowers grow in clusters called panicles. They appear from October to November. You can find these flower clusters where the leaves meet the stem or at the ends of the branches. Each flower petal is very small, only up to 2 millimeters long.
The fruit of this tree is a purplish-black drupe. A drupe is a fruit with a fleshy outer part and a hard pit inside, like a peach. These fruits ripen from March to August. They are shaped like a tear drop and can be up to 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) long. Inside the fruit is a cream-colored seed. To grow a new tree, you should plant this seed after removing its thin green flesh.
