''Cryptocarya obovata'' is a species of laurel growing on basaltic and fertile

alluvial soils Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Allu ...

in eastern Australian rainforests. It is found from

Wyong Wyong () is a town in the Central Coast of New South Wales, located approximately 63 km SSW of Newcastle and 89 km NNE of Sydney. Established in 1888, it is one of the two administrative centres for the local government area. His ...

(33° S) in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Gympie Gympie ( ) is a city and a locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Wide Bay-Burnett District, Gympie is about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River, which floods Gympie occasionally. T ...

(27° S) in the state of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. Extinct in the

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...

region (34° S), allegedly last seen in the Illawarra in 1818 by Allan Cunningham. * The species was included in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen, 402 (1810)

Description

''Cryptocarya obovata'', known as the pepperberry or white walnut, reaches a height of 40 metres and a trunk diameter of 90 cm. The hairy underside of the leaves gives the tree a rusty appearance when viewed from below.

Trunk, bark and leaves

The trunk is straight and round in cross section, usually buttressed. The bark is grey or brown and usually fairly smooth. Vertical lines of pustules are often seen. Leaves are alternate,

obovate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...

or oblong, 6 to 12 cm long, with a round tip. Upper surface smooth and glossy, underside usually greyish and finely hairy. Brown leaf stalks 3 to 8 mm long. Leaf venation is prominent, the raised midrib, lateral and net veins are covered with brown hairs, standing out conspicuously. Veins brownish/orange or yellow in colour.

Flowers, fruit and germination

Cream flowers in

panicles A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are ...

. Individual flowers about 3 mm long, almost without stalks. Flowering occurs between February to May. The fruit is a black globular

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part ( exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kerne ...

, usually ribbed. 12 mm in diameter. The seed is around 8 mm in diameter. Fruit ripe from March to May. Eaten by

Australasian figbird The Australasian figbird (''Sphecotheres vieilloti''), also known as the green figbird (not to be confused with the Timor figbird), is a conspicuous, medium-sized passerine bird native to a wide range of wooded habitats in northern and eastern ...

, rose-crowned fruit-dove, topknot pigeon and wompoo fruit dove. Like most Australian '' Cryptocarya'' fruit, removal of the fleshy aril is advised to assist seed germination, which is slow with ''Cryptocarya obovata'' After 205 days, a 50% germination success may be expected.

Gallery

Image:Cryptocarya obovata trunk & leaves.JPG, ''Cryptocarya obovata'' at the

Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney is a heritage-listed major botanical garden, event venue and public recreation area located at Farm Cove on the eastern fringe of the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government a ...

Image:Cryptocarya obovata - bark.JPG, ''Cryptocarya obovata'' - bark Image:Cryptocaryaobovata-juvenile.JPG, ''Cryptocarya obovata'' - juvenile Image:Cryptocarya obovata - leaves.jpg, ''Cryptocarya obovata'' - leaves showing venation

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q975756 Laurales of Australia Trees of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland obovata Plants described in 1810 Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)