Beilschmiedia elliptica
Beilschmiedia elliptica | |
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Foliage | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Magnoliids |
Order: | Laurales |
Family: | Lauraceae |
Genus: | Beilschmiedia |
Species: | B. elliptica
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Binomial name | |
Beilschmiedia elliptica Cyril Tenison White & W.D. Francis
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Beilschmiedia elliptica, known as the grey walnut is a rainforest laurel growing in eastern Australia. The range of natural distribution is from Forster, New South Wales (32° S) to Fraser Island (25° S) in southeastern Queensland. Beilschmiedia elliptica grows in warm temperate and subtropical rainforests. Not a rare species, but seldom identified in the rainforest.
Description
A medium to large tree reaching to 30 metres tall and 90 cm in trunk diameter. The cylindrical trunk is reddish brown or grey, with raised dots and depressions in the bark. The tree's base is somewhat buttressed or flanged.
The shoots and stems are hairy. The elliptic shaped leaves are alternate and not toothed, 8 to 10 cm long and 2 to 3 cm wide. Leaf venation is prominent on both sides, with a raised midrib and prominent intramarginal vein.
Cream flowers form in
The fruit is eaten by a variety of birds, including rose-crowned fruit dove, topknot pigeon and white-headed pigeon.
References
- Floyd, A.G., Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, Inkata Press 1989, ISBN 0-909605-57-2
- "Beilschmiedia elliptica". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Retrieved 2009-08-03.