''Syzygium corynanthum'', commonly known as sour cherry and Killarney satinash, is a common

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n tree which grows in surrounding areas from

Taree, New South Wales Taree () is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. It and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then it has grown to a population of 26,381, and commands a significant agricultural district. Situ ...

(31 ° S) to tropical

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

.The habitat of ''Syzygium corynanthum'' is

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

basaltic Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron ( mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% ...

or fertile

alluvial Alluvium (, ) 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. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...

soils.

Description

''Syzygium corynanthum'' is a medium size tree, which can reach 30 metres in height and a 90 cm in trunk diameter. The tree's crown appears dark and full. The bark is grey and scaly, with numerous depressions caused by the shedding of bark scales. ''Syzygium corynanthum'' are slightly buttressed at the base.

Leaves, flowers and fruit

The leaves are opposite, simple and entire with numerous oil dots, about five diameters apart of different sizes. Leaf stalks are 6mm long. Flowers are in short dense panicles. Petals are cream, four in number and appear from April to July. The fruit matures from September to December, being a red

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...

, broader towards the tip than at the base. Four persistent calyx lobes surround the base of the fruit, from which the

style Style, or styles may refer to: Film and television * ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal * ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film * ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film * '' ...

usually protrudes. The taste of the fruit is not particularly sour, as the common name might suggest. Seed germination is slow, commencing at 40 days, and completing after 200 days. The fruit is prone to insect attacks. Soaking the seeds is recommended to drown insect larvae. The fruit is eaten by many rainforest birds, including the wompoo fruit dove and

catbird Several unrelated groups of songbirds are called catbirds because of their wailing calls, which resemble a cat's meowing. The genus name ''Ailuroedus'' likewise is from the Greek for 'cat-singer' or 'cat-voiced'. Australasian catbirds are ...

References

''Syzygium corynanthum'' at NSW Flora Online
Retrieved on 2009-08-04 {{Taxonbar, from=Q7663973 Myrtales of Australia Trees of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland corynanthum Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller