Ehretia acuminata
Encyclopedia
Ehretia acuminata is a deciduous
tree found in Japan
, China
, Bhutan
, Nepal
, Laos
, Vietnam
, New Guinea
and Australia
. Fossil evidence suggests an ancient Laurasia
n origin. This group of plants spread to Australia and South America via Africa, when these continents were still joined.
Commonly known as Koda in Australia, Ehretia acuminata is a common tree found from near Bega
in south east New South Wales
to Cape York
in far north eastern Australia. The Australian habitat is many different forms of rainforest, particularly near the margins or disturbed areas.
The bark is a creamy, grey, with vertical fissures. Koda is often easily identified in winter being deciduous
and of the characteristic flutings at the base of the trunk.
Flowers are white, sweetly scented, in panicles. Individual flowers are without a stalk, about 4 mm in diameter. Flowers appear in September to November.
The fruit matures from January to April, being a yellow or orange drupe
, 4 to 5 mm in diameter,
containing four seeds. The fruit is edible to humans with a sweet taste. Fruit are eaten by many rainforest birds, including the Lewin's Honeyeater
, Rose-crowned Fruit-dove
, Brown Cuckoo Dove, Wompoo Fruit Dove and Australasian Figbird
.
Seed germination is relatively easy. Ensure the flesh is removed from the fruit, and expect rapid germination.
.
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
tree found in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and 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...
. Fossil evidence suggests an ancient Laurasia
Laurasia
In paleogeography, Laurasia was the northernmost of two supercontinents that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent from approximately...
n origin. This group of plants spread to Australia and South America via Africa, when these continents were still joined.
Commonly known as Koda in Australia, Ehretia acuminata is a common tree found from near Bega
Bega
As a place name, Bega may refer to:* Bega, New South Wales, a town in New South Wales, Australia** Bega Valley Shire, a coastal local government area in New South Wales** Electoral district of Bega, a New South Wales electoral district...
in south east New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
to Cape York
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
in far north eastern Australia. The Australian habitat is many different forms of rainforest, particularly near the margins or disturbed areas.
Description
Ehretia acuminata is a medium to large size tree, occasionally reaching 30 metres in height and a 90 cm in trunk diameter.The bark is a creamy, grey, with vertical fissures. Koda is often easily identified in winter being deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
and of the characteristic flutings at the base of the trunk.
Leaves, flowers and fruit
The leaves are alternate and simple, tapering to a tip. Finely toothed. 8 to 13 cm long. Smooth and green on both surfaces, darker above. The midrib and lateral veins are distinct on both sides of the leaf, raised beneath.Flowers are white, sweetly scented, in panicles. Individual flowers are without a stalk, about 4 mm in diameter. Flowers appear in September to November.
The fruit matures from January to April, being a yellow or orange drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
, 4 to 5 mm in diameter,
containing four seeds. The fruit is edible to humans with a sweet taste. Fruit are eaten by many rainforest birds, including the Lewin's Honeyeater
Lewin's Honeyeater
The Lewin's Honeyeater, Meliphaga lewinii, is a bird that inhabits the ranges along the east coast of Australia. It has a semicircular ear patch, pale yellow in colour.The name of this bird commemorates the Australian artist John Lewin....
, Rose-crowned Fruit-dove
Rose-crowned Fruit-dove
The Rose-crowned Fruit Dove, Ptilinopus regina, also known as Pink-capped Fruit Dove or Swainson's Fruit Dove, is a medium-sized, up to 22 cm long, green fruit dove with a grey head and breast, an orange belly, whitish throat, yellow-orange iris, and greyish green bill and feet. It has a...
, Brown Cuckoo Dove, Wompoo Fruit Dove and Australasian Figbird
Australasian Figbird
The Australasian Figbird is a conspicuous medium-sized passerine bird native to a wide range of wooded habitats in northern and eastern Australia, southern Papua New Guinea, and the Kai Islands in Indonesia. It was formerly considered a subspecies of S...
.
Seed germination is relatively easy. Ensure the flesh is removed from the fruit, and expect rapid germination.
Commercial use
Ehretia acuminata is used for roadside plantings, building and furniture timber, as well as in Traditional Chinese medicineTraditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
.
Local names
- Lao: ຊ້າງ (sâːŋ)
- NepaliNepali languageNepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
: नालसुरा (nalsura). - JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
: チシャノキ (chishanoki)