''Tristaniopsis collina'', known as hill water gum or hill kanuka, is a tree of eastern

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 ...

. The natural range of ''T. collina'' is from near Mount Gulaga (36° S) in the south of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

to the border with the state of

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 ...

at the

McPherson Range The McPherson Range is an extensive mountain range, a spur of the Great Dividing Range, heading in an easterly direction from near Wallangarra, Queensland, Wallangarra to the Pacific Ocean coastline. It forms part of the Scenic Rim on the border ...

(28° S). The usual habitat 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 ...

away from streams on shallow soils at high altitude. However, it can occasionally be seen at low altitudes such as at Seal Rocks and

Chatswood West Chatswood West is a suburb on the Lower North Shore (Sydney), Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Chatswood West is located 11 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local gover ...

. ''T. collina'' is remarkably similar to the related '' T. laurina'' (Water Gum), but the latter species is strictly

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripar ...

Description

''Tristaniopsis collina'' is a small to medium tree, up to in height and up to in trunk diameter. The trunk is irregular, not cylindrical. The

bark Bark may refer to: Common meanings * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Arts and entertainment * ''Bark'' (Jefferson Airplane album), ...

is grey or creamy, very thin, with papery fibres that come off to touch. Branchlets are coloured purple and angular in cross section. The alternate simple

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are around long, with a long thin tip, and numerous oil dots of varying sizes. The midrib is sunken on the top surface, but raised below. Yellow

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s form in cymes from November to January. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

is a dry capsule maturing from April to July. The fruit is practically identical to that of ''T. laurina''. The winged

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s are long and broad.

References

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(Publication details included in citation)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7844159 collina Myrtales of Australia Trees of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland