''Syzygium oleosum'', common names include blue lilly pilly, Scented satinash, and blue cherry. It is a species of ''Syzygium'' tree native to the eastern Australian

rainforests Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest ...

and

wet sclerophyll Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat. The plants feature hard leaves, short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is parallel or oblique to direct ...

forests.

Description

It is usually a small tree, 4 to 15 m tall. The leaves are opposite, simple and

lanceolate 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 regula ...

ovate Ovate may refer to: * Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe A hand axe (or handaxe or Acheulean hand axe) is a prehistoric stone tool with two faces that is the longest-used ...

, with a dark glossy upper surface and paler under-surface. The leaves have oil dots and are distinctly aromatic when crushed, with aromas reminiscent of

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

s. Its flowers are small and white-cream colored. It produces a purplish red fruit when young, changing to purplish blue when ripe, 13–40 mm in diameter.

Distribution

A wide distribution range on the east side of Australia. From Cooktown, North Queensland to 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 ...

, New South Wales.

Uses

The blue fruit can be eaten freshly picked from the tree or cooked. It has a pleasantly crisp texture and is mildly aromatic and sweet. The fruit can also be made into

jam Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and enterta ...

s, jellies and

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are ...

. It is also grown as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2024713 oleosum Trees of Australia Ornamental trees Myrtales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Bushfood Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller