Litsea bindoniana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Litsea bindoniana |
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| Big-leaved Bollywood | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Litsea
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| Species: |
bindoniana
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| Synonyms | |
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Cylicodaphne bindoniana F.Muell. |
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The Big-Leaved Bollywood (Litsea bindoniana) is a special tree found in the rainforests of tropical Queensland, Australia. It's part of the laurel family, which includes many well-known trees. This tree is known for its really big leaves and lovely smell.
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Meet the Big-Leaved Bollywood Tree
This amazing tree is a small to medium-sized bushy tree. It is endemic, meaning it grows naturally only in the rainforests of tropical Queensland, Australia.
What Does It Look Like?
The Big-Leaved Bollywood tree has very large leaves. They can be about 25 cm (10 in) long and 10 cm (4 in) wide. The top of the leaves is dark green, while the underside is paler and a bit hairy. You can also see attractive yellow veins running through the leaves. Even the leaf stalks are hairy!
The tree produces small, greenish flowers that are about 0.7 cm across. These flowers are fragrant, meaning they smell nice. They usually appear between March and May.
After the flowers, the tree grows fruits. These fruits are black and ripen from September to October. They are a type of drupe, which means they are fleshy fruits with a hard pit or seed inside, like a peach or a cherry.
How Does It Reproduce?
New Big-Leaved Bollywood trees grow from fresh seeds. To help them grow, you need to remove the fleshy covering around the seed. This covering is called an aril.
Who Named This Tree?
The Big-Leaved Bollywood tree was first described in 1865 by a scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He first called it Cylicodaphne bindoniana. Later, in 1882, he changed its name to Litsea bindoniana.
The tree was named to honor Samuel Henry Bindon. He was a Victorian parliamentarian (a person who works in the government) and an agriculturist (someone interested in farming) in the 1800s.
Litsea bindoniana is one of eleven types of Litsea trees that grow in Australia. Most Litsea trees are found in Asia.
Where Does It Grow?
You can find Litsea bindoniana in central and northern Queensland. It grows in forests up to 1000 m (3500 ft) above sea level.
Who Eats Its Fruit?
The fruits of the Big-Leaved Bollywood tree are a tasty snack for many animals. The superb fruit dove loves to eat them, along with fruits from many other trees in the laurel family.
The leaves of this tree are also important! They are a food source for caterpillars of certain butterflies, like the blue triangle (Graphium sarpedon) and the bronze flat (Netrocoryne repanda).
Interestingly, the tooth-billed catbird (Scenopoeetes dentirostris) uses the leaves of this tree to decorate its special display area. This is where the male bird tries to attract a mate.
Growing Your Own Bollywood Tree
The Big-Leaved Bollywood tree can be a beautiful garden plant if you live in a tropical area. Young plants need a bit of care. They should be protected from strong winds. They also need lots of shade and plenty of moisture to grow well.
