Pear fruited tamarind facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pear fruited tamarind |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Mischocarpus
|
| Species: |
pyriformis
|
The Mischocarpus pyriformis, also known as the pear fruited tamarind, is a special tree found in the rainforests of eastern Australia. You can find it growing from Seal Rocks, New South Wales all the way up to Cooktown in tropical Queensland. The type of pear fruited tamarind found in New South Wales is called Mischocarpus pyriformis subsp. pyriformis.
This tree loves to grow near streams or close to the ocean. It can also be found in drier rainforest areas. The name Mischocarpus comes from how the stalk of its fruit tapers, or gets thinner, towards the top. The word pyriformis means "pear shaped," which describes the fruit perfectly!
Contents
What is the Pear Fruited Tamarind?
This tree can grow up to 18 metres (about 59 feet) tall, with a trunk that can be as wide as 50 centimetres (about 20 inches). It's a really pretty tree with shiny, attractive leaves. The trunk is usually round like a cylinder, but sometimes it can have an uneven shape.
The bark of the tree is usually grey. It's mostly smooth, but you might see some small raised bumps on it. The smaller branches are thick and smooth, and they can be brown or greenish-brown.
Leaves of the Pear Fruited Tamarind
The leaves of the pear fruited tamarind are called "compound leaves." This means each leaf is made up of several smaller leaflets. These leaves can be from 8 to 30 centimetres (about 3 to 12 inches) long. Each compound leaf has between 4 and 9 glossy leaflets.
The leaflets don't have any teeth along their edges. They are shaped like an oval or a narrow oval, usually 2 to 15 centimetres (about 1 to 6 inches) long and 2 to 6 centimetres (about 1 to 2.5 inches) wide. You can easily see the veins on both sides of the leaflets, but they are clearer on the underside. There are also many tiny net-like veins visible.
Flowers and Fruit
The pear fruited tamarind produces cream-coloured flowers that have a nice scent. These flowers grow in clusters called panicles. You can see them blooming from February to April.
After the flowers, the tree grows yellow, pear-shaped fruits. Each fruit hangs on a small stalk about 6 millimetres (about 0.2 inches) long. The fruits ripen between October and December. Inside the fruit, you'll usually find two black, oval-shaped seeds. These seeds are about 9 millimetres (about 0.35 inches) long and are surrounded by a bright red covering called an aril.
Birds, like the Lewin's honeyeater, enjoy eating these fruits. Interestingly, not every fruit capsule contains seeds.
Growing New Plants
If you want to grow new pear fruited tamarind trees, fresh seeds are the best! They usually sprout quickly and reliably. However, some seeds might stay dormant, or "asleep," for a while. These sleeping seeds can still sprout even after three months.
