Beilschmiedia obtusifolia

Beilschmiedia obtusifolia
	Large tree at Tooloom scrub
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Laurales
Family:	Lauraceae
Genus:	Beilschmiedia
Species:	B. obtusifolia
Binomial name
	Beilschmiedia obtusifolia; F.Muell. ex Meissner.

Beilschmiedia obtusifolia is a rainforest tree in the laurel family Lauraceae, found in rainforests of eastern Australia and also in New Guinea.^[2]^[3] In Australia it ranges from Port Macquarie in New South Wales^[4] northwards to Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, within tropical and subtropical rainforests, usually on the more fertile basaltic sites, but sometimes close to the sea. Its common names include blush walnut, hard bolly gum, and nut wood.^[2]

Description

Beilschmiedia obtusifolia is a medium to large tree.^[5] The cylindrical trunk is brown or creamy with vertical lines of raised pustules. The trunk features scales with round depressions, colloquially known as "bollies", similar to the related bollygum, Litsea reticulata. The tree's base is flanged in larger specimens.

The shoots and stems are hairy. The elliptic or reverse

lanceolate

leaves are alternate and not toothed, 8 to 10 cm long and 2 to 4 cm wide. They are bluntly pointed or sometimes notched at the tip. The leaf stalks are 5 mm long. Leaf venation is prominent on both sides, with a raised midrib.

Cream flowers form in

panicles from October to November, and the flowers have an unpleasant scent. The fruit ripens from December to July, being a black egg-shaped drupe with a scented green oily aril. The fruit is 20 to 30 mm long with a single seed inside. As with most Australian laurels, removal of the fleshy aril

is advised to assist seed germination, which is slow but fairly reliable with Beilschmiedia obtusifolia.

The fruits are eaten by a variety of birds, including the pied imperial pigeon, rose-crowned fruit dove, topknot pigeon, wompoo fruit dove, metallic starling, Australasian figbird, magnificent riflebird, bowerbird, and spotted catbird.^[3]

References

^ "Beilschmiedia obtusifolia". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
^ ^a ^b F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Beilschmiedia obtusifolia". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
^
ISBN 9780958174213
. Retrieved 2 June 2021.

^ "Beilschmiedia obtusifolia". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
^ Wingham Brush Nature Reserve Pamphlet, National Parks & Wildlife Service of New South Wales 2008

[APNI-1] "Beilschmiedia obtusifolia". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 26 July 2013.

[RFK-2] F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Beilschmiedia obtusifolia". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 2 June 2021.

[COOPER2-3] 
ISBN 9780958174213
. Retrieved 2 June 2021.

[NSWFO-4] "Beilschmiedia obtusifolia". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Retrieved 2009-08-03.

[5] Wingham Brush Nature Reserve Pamphlet, National Parks & Wildlife Service of New South Wales 2008

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