Myrsine variabilis
Encyclopedia
Myrsine variabilis, known as the Muttonwood or Variable Muttonwood is a tree of eastern Australia
. The range of natural distribution is from near Milton
(35° S) in southern New South Wales
to the McIlwraith Range
in far north Queensland
(13° S).
The habitat of the Muttonwood is at the edges of rainforests of various types; including tropical, sub-tropical, warm temperate and littoral
rainforest.
The trunk is straight and mostly cylindrical. The base of the tree is not buttressed. Bark is grey or brown, somewhat corky and rough with various irregularities; such as horizontal lines and vertical cracks.
Leaves are practically sessile
, the leaf stalks less than 5 mm long. Leaves alternate, toothed on young plants, wavy edged and relatively stiff. Reverse lanceolate to oblong or egg shaped; 3 to 8 cm long, not usually with a tip at the point. Leaf veins are raised and noticeable on both surfaces.
Cream flowers form in clusters along the ends of branches. 2 mm long flowers on 4 mm long flower stalks, the flowering period is mostly around July to August. The blue or violet coloured fruit mature between November and December; being a 5 mm diameter drupe
.
Fruit eaten by Lewin's Honeyeater
and the Rose crowned fruit dove. Germination from fresh seed occurs without difficulty. Removal of the fleshy aril
is recommended to assist seed germination.
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 range of natural distribution is from near Milton
Milton, New South Wales
Milton is a town in the City of Shoalhaven on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia, not far from Ulladulla. It was founded in the middle of the 19th century...
(35° S) in southern 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 the McIlwraith Range
McIlwraith Range
The McIlwraith Range is a rugged, dissected granite plateau on the Cape York Peninsula, Far North Queensland, Australia. Part of the Great Dividing Range, it covers about 3000 km2 and lies about 15 km east of the town of Coen, and 550 km north of Cairns...
in far north Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
(13° S).
The habitat of the Muttonwood is at the edges of rainforests of various types; including tropical, sub-tropical, warm temperate and littoral
Littoral
The littoral zone is that part of a sea, lake or river that is close to the shore. In coastal environments the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged. It always includes this intertidal zone and is often used to...
rainforest.
Description
A small tree to around 15 metres tall and up to 50 cm in stem diameter. Noticeable for the dense, dark foliage and attractive blue fruit.The trunk is straight and mostly cylindrical. The base of the tree is not buttressed. Bark is grey or brown, somewhat corky and rough with various irregularities; such as horizontal lines and vertical cracks.
Leaves are practically sessile
Sessility (botany)
In botany, sessility is a characteristic of plants whose flowers or leaves are borne directly from the stem or peduncle, and thus lack a petiole or pedicel...
, the leaf stalks less than 5 mm long. Leaves alternate, toothed on young plants, wavy edged and relatively stiff. Reverse lanceolate to oblong or egg shaped; 3 to 8 cm long, not usually with a tip at the point. Leaf veins are raised and noticeable on both surfaces.
Cream flowers form in clusters along the ends of branches. 2 mm long flowers on 4 mm long flower stalks, the flowering period is mostly around July to August. The blue or violet coloured fruit mature between November and December; being a 5 mm diameter 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...
.
Fruit eaten by 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....
and the Rose crowned fruit dove. Germination from fresh seed occurs without difficulty. Removal of the fleshy aril
Aril
An aril is any specialized outgrowth from the funiculus that covers or is attached to the seed. It is sometimes applied to any appendage or thickening of the seed coat in flowering plants, such as the edible parts of the mangosteen and pomegranate fruit, the mace of the nutmeg seed, or the...
is recommended to assist seed germination.