Thick leaved laurel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thick leaved laurel |
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| Cryptocarya meissneriana - Coorabakh National Park, Australia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cryptocarya
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| Species: |
meissneriana
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| Synonyms | |
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* Cryptocarya meissneri F.Muell. |
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The Cryptocarya meissneriana, also called the thick-leaved laurel, is a small tree found in eastern Australia. It grows in rainforest areas where the soil isn't very rich.
You can find this tree naturally from the Wangat River in the Barrington Tops area of New South Wales all the way up to the Logan River in southeastern Queensland. This special tree was named after Carl Meissner, a scientist from Switzerland who studied plants.
Contents
What Does the Thick-Leaved Laurel Look Like?
The Cryptocarya meissneriana is a small tree, usually growing up to 10 metres (about 33 feet) tall. Its trunk can be about 25 centimetres (10 inches) wide. The bark is brown and mostly smooth, but it has some bumpy lines going up and down.
Leaves and Branches
The leaves grow one after another along the stem. They are simple, meaning they are not divided into smaller leaflets. Each leaf is narrow and has a pointed tip. Even though it's called "thick-leaved," the leaves aren't super thick. They are usually 5 to 9 centimetres (2 to 3.5 inches) long. The top side of the leaf is shiny green, and the bottom side is a lighter green. Sometimes, the underside can even look a bit blue-green, which is called glaucous.
The main vein in the middle of the leaf looks a bit sunken on the top side but sticks out on the bottom side. The smaller branches of the tree are smooth and green.
Flowers and Fruit
Tiny flowers, which are pale green or cream-coloured, grow in groups called panicles. You can see these flowers from October to January.
After the flowers, the tree produces a black, fleshy fruit. This fruit is a type of drupe, which means it has a hard pit inside, like a peach or cherry. It's about 15 millimetres (half an inch) long. Just like many other Cryptocarya trees in Australia, the fruit of the thick-leaved laurel has ribs and a pointed shape. The fruit becomes ripe from March to April.
How Does it Grow?
Growing new trees from fresh seeds can be slow, but it usually works well. It's a good idea to remove the soft, black outer layer of the fruit before planting the seeds. This helps the seeds sprout more easily.
