Veined mock-olive facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Veined mock-olive |
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| Veined mock-olive at Roseville Chase, Australia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Notelaea
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| Species: |
venosa
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The Veined mock-olive (scientific name: Notelaea venosa) is a common shrub or small tree found in eastern Australia. You can spot it growing near or inside rainforests. It lives in a wide area, from Lakes Entrance, Victoria in the south to Cunninghams Gap in south-eastern Queensland. People also call it the smooth mock-olive, large-leaved mock-olive, or large mock-olive. It's often seen in the bushland around Sydney.
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About the Veined Mock-Olive Plant
This plant is usually a bushy shrub, growing up to 3 metres (about 10 feet) tall. But sometimes, it can surprise you by growing much larger! Some Veined mock-olives can reach 16 metres (about 52 feet) tall, with a trunk about 25 centimetres (10 inches) wide. Its trunk is often a bit bent. The bark is grey-brown and mostly smooth, but it might have a few flaky spots. The younger branches have tiny white dots called lenticels.
Leaves of the Mock-Olive
The leaves of the Veined mock-olive are a dull green colour. They feel stiff and thick. They look a bit like eucalyptus leaves. You can easily see the veins on both sides of the leaves. The edges of the leaves are smooth, though sometimes they can be a little wavy. The veins form a neat and even pattern. This is different from a similar plant, Notelaea longifolia, which has veins that are harder to see and less regular.
The leaves are usually 6 to 16 centimetres (2.4 to 6.3 inches) long. They are 2 to 4 centimetres (0.8 to 1.6 inches) wide. Their shape is like a spearhead or a wider spearhead. The leaf stem is 5 to 15 millimetres (0.2 to 0.6 inches) long. This plant has tiny oil dots, but they are hard to spot.
Flowers and Fruit: Life Cycle
The Veined mock-olive produces greenish-white or yellow flowers. These usually appear between October and December. The flowers grow in clusters called racemes, which are 1 to 3 centimetres (0.4 to 1.2 inches) long. Each cluster has about five to nine flowers.
The fruit of the plant ripens from April to September. However, you might find ripe fruit at any time of the year. The fruit is a dark blue or black, fleshy drupe. It is 10 to 15 millimetres (0.4 to 0.6 inches) long. Inside, there is a single pointed seed, which is 8 to 12 millimetres (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long. If you try to grow new plants from fresh seeds, it takes a long time for them to sprout.
See also
In Spanish: Olivo mock venoso para niños
