Alectryon tomentosus
Encyclopedia
Alectryon tomentosus, commonly known as the Hairy Birds Eye, Red Jacket or Woolly Rambutan, is a rainforest tree of the Sapindaceae
family found in eastern Australia
. The specific epithet tomentosus refers to the hairy leaves and hairy young shoots.
It grows in many different types of rainforest on a variety of soil types. Seen as far south as the Hunter River, New South Wales and growing to the most far north eastern point of the Australian continent. In its natural habitat it may reach 15 metres (50 ft) tall and a stem diameter of 30 cm (12 in). It is generally a lot smaller in cultivation.
Alectryon tomentosus is an attractive tree, featuring jagged edged leaves, pink flowers and red fruit. The trunk is grey and smooth. It is often planted in gardens, parks or as a street tree. Green Catbird
s have been noticed eating the fruit.
First described in 1857 by Ferdinand von Mueller
as Nephelium tomentosum from a collection on the Brisbane River
, it gained its current binomial name when reclassified by Ludwig Adolph Timotheus Radlkofer
.
Sapindaceae
Sapindaceae, also known as the soapberry family, is a family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales. There are about 140-150 genera with 1400-2000 species, including maple, horse chestnut and lychee....
family found in eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The specific epithet tomentosus refers to the hairy leaves and hairy young shoots.
It grows in many different types of rainforest on a variety of soil types. Seen as far south as the Hunter River, New South Wales and growing to the most far north eastern point of the Australian continent. In its natural habitat it may reach 15 metres (50 ft) tall and a stem diameter of 30 cm (12 in). It is generally a lot smaller in cultivation.
Alectryon tomentosus is an attractive tree, featuring jagged edged leaves, pink flowers and red fruit. The trunk is grey and smooth. It is often planted in gardens, parks or as a street tree. Green Catbird
Green Catbird
The Green Catbird, Ailuroedus crassirostris is a species of bowerbird found on subtropical forests along the east coast of Australia, from southeastern Queensland to southern New South Wales. Its colouring is emerald green, with faint black markings on the face and white streaks on the neck.Green...
s have been noticed eating the fruit.
First described in 1857 by Ferdinand von Mueller
Ferdinand von Mueller
Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, KCMG was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist.-Early life:...
as Nephelium tomentosum from a collection on the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
, it gained its current binomial name when reclassified by Ludwig Adolph Timotheus Radlkofer
Ludwig Adolph Timotheus Radlkofer
Ludwig Adolph Timotheus Radlkofer , was a noted Bavarian taxonomist and botanist, who was Professor of Botany at the University of Munich....
.