Pouteria cotinifolia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pouteria cotinifolia |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pouteria
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| Species: |
cotinifolia
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The Pouteria cotinifolia is a special tree from Australia. It is part of the plant family called Sapotaceae. People often call it the small-leaved plum, yellow lemon, or small-leaved coondoo.
This tree grows in the drier parts of rainforests. You can find it from the Richmond River in New South Wales all the way up to the Wenlock River in tropical Queensland.
Contents
About the Small-Leaved Plum
The Pouteria cotinifolia belongs to a large group of trees called Pouteria. This group of trees grows in warm, tropical places around the world. You can find them from South America to Indonesia and even in eastern Australia.
Scientists have studied the genes of these trees. They found that Pouteria cotinifolia is very closely related to another tree called Pouteria eerwah. Also, Pouteria australis is like a close cousin to both of these trees. These three trees form their own special group within the Pouteria family.
What It Looks Like
This tree is usually small. It can grow up to 15 meters (about 49 feet) tall. Its main stem can be as wide as 40 centimeters (about 16 inches).
You can easily spot this tree by its small leaves. The leaves are usually 1 to 5 centimeters (about 0.4 to 2 inches) long. They are also 0.5 to 3 centimeters (about 0.2 to 1.2 inches) wide. The tip of each leaf is usually rounded.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
The Pouteria cotinifolia tree flowers between February and March. After the flowers, the tree grows fruit. The fruit is shiny and black.
Inside the fruit, there is usually one seed. This seed is light brown and very shiny. It also has a special scar that runs along its length. This scar helps to identify the seed.
Varieties of the Tree
Scientists recognize two different types, or varieties, of Pouteria cotinifolia:
- Pouteria cotinifolia var. pubescens
- Pouteria cotinifolia var. cotinifolia
