Hairy-leaved bolly gum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hairy-leaved bolly gum
Neolitsea dealbata
Scientific classification
Genus:	Neolitsea
Species:	dealbata

The Hairy-leaved Bolly Gum, also known by its scientific name Neolitsea dealbata, is a special plant from Australia. It can grow as a large shrub or even a medium-sized tree. This plant belongs to the Lauraceae family, which includes many well-known trees and shrubs.

What is the Hairy-leaved Bolly Gum?

This interesting plant can grow quite tall, reaching up to 12 metres high. That's about the height of a three-story building! It's known for its unique leaves and how it grows in its natural home.

Leaves and Branches

The leaves of the Hairy-leaved Bolly Gum are shiny and have an oval shape. They are often described as elliptic to obovate. What makes them special is their underside, which is a pale, whitish color. When the leaves and branches are young, they are covered in soft, brown hairs. This is how the plant gets its "hairy-leaved" name!

Flowers and Fruits

This plant produces tiny flowers, only about 2 millimetres long. After the flowers, small, round, black fruits grow. These fruits are about 8 millimetres across. In Australia, these fruits become ripe from mid-autumn to early winter, usually between April and June.

Where Does it Grow?

The Hairy-leaved Bolly Gum is a native plant of Australia. You can find it growing in the rainforests of New South Wales and Queensland. It prefers to grow as an understorey species. This means it lives beneath the taller trees in the forest, enjoying the shade and protection they offer.

Who Named This Plant?

The scientific name for this plant, Tetranthera dealbata, was first given by a botanist named Robert Brown in 1810. Later, another botanist, Elmer Drew Merrill, changed its name to Neolitsea dealbata. This process of naming and classifying plants is called taxonomy. It helps scientists around the world understand and organize all the different types of living things.