Neolitsea australiensis, also known as the Green Bolly Gum, is an Australian rainforest

Rainforest

Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...

 tree, in the laurel family

Lauraceae

The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...

. The specific epithet is derived from "Australia", and the Latin "ensis"; meaning "native of Australia".

Description

Usually seen from 6 to 15 high with a stem diameter of 25 cm. However, at Murray Scrub

Toonumbar National Park

Toonumbar is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 617 km north of Sydney.The Park is part of the Focal Peak Group World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia inscribed in 1986 and added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2007.-Description:The park features...

, it is 40 metres tall with a trunk diameter of 50 cm. Bark is smooth and dark brown on a cylindrical trunk.

Leaves

Leaves are pointed; ovate to elliptic in shape, 6 to 13 cm long, 2 to 6 cm wide. Glossy above and pale grey below. The leaf stem is green, between 12 and 20 mm long. Leaf veins are prominent. With three to five lateral veins. The basal pair of veins starts around 5 mm from the leaf base. And travels for about half the leaf length in a curve. Twigs are smooth, either brown or green.

Flowers & fruit

Scented cream flowers form in stalk-less clusters from March to September. The fruit are larger than those of Neolitsea dealbata

Neolitsea dealbata

Neolitsea dealbata, also known as Hairy-leaved Bolly Gum, is a shrub or tree, in the family Lauraceae, which is native to Australia.-Description:...

, 20 mm long and 14 mm wide, the seed is pointed, around 10 mm long. Fruit eaten by a variety of birds, including 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...

, Regent Bowerbird

Regent Bowerbird

The Regent Bowerbird, Sericulus chrysocephalus is a medium-sized, up to 25 cm long, sexually dimorphic bowerbird. The male bird is black with a golden orange-yellow crown, mantle and black-tipped wing feathers. It has yellow bill, black feet and yellow iris...

, Satin Bowerbird

Satin Bowerbird

The Satin Bowerbird, Ptilonorhynchus violaceus is a bowerbird endemic to eastern Australia.A rare natural intergeneric hybrid between the Satin Bowerbird and the Regent Bowerbird is known as Rawnsley's Bowerbird.-Distribution:...

, Topknot Pigeon

Topknot Pigeon

The Topknot Pigeon is a pigeon native to Australia. It is also known by the name of "Flock Pigeon".-Description:...

 and White-headed Pigeon

White-headed Pigeon

The White-headed Pigeon is a pigeon native to the east coast of Australia, belonging to the same genus as the domestic pigeon C. livia....

. Removal of the black 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 advised for propagation by seed.

Distribution

The species is an under-storey tree found in rainforests in 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...

 and 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...

, north from Ourimbah to near Maryborough, Queensland

Maryborough, Queensland

Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...

. Often found on the better more fertile alluvial or volcanic soils. In the field it may be difficult to distinguish between the similar Cryptocarya rigida

Cryptocarya rigida

Cryptocarya rigida is a small tree or shrub growing in high rainfall areas in north eastern New South Wales, Australia. It was described in 1864 by Carl Meissner in Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis...

 and Neolitsea dealbata

Neolitsea dealbata

Neolitsea dealbata, also known as Hairy-leaved Bolly Gum, is a shrub or tree, in the family Lauraceae, which is native to Australia.-Description:...

.