Planchonella australis
Encyclopedia
Pouteria australis, also known by the synonym
Planchonella australis, is a medium to tall rainforest
tree of the family Sapotaceae
native to Queensland
and New South Wales
, Australia
. It is known by the common name Black Apple, Wild Plum, Yellow buttonwood, Black plum and Yellow bulletwood.
The tree was first described as Achras australis by Robert Brown
in his 1810 work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, before being moved to its current binomial name by Baehni in 1942. The alternate name Planchonella australis was coined by Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre
in 1890. It belongs to the large genus Pouteria
which occurs across the tropics from South America to Indonesia and into eastern Australia. A genetic analysis of Internal transcribed spacer
RNA material found that Pouteria australis was most closely related a pair of species, Pouteria cotinifolia
and Pouteria eerwah
- the three forming a distinct group of Australian species within the genus. An older analysis of DNA material placed it as sister taxon with Pouteria myrsinoides
.
Pouteria australis grows as a tree reaching a maximum height of 30 metres (100 ft), with a fluted trunk up to 120 cm (48 in) diameter, with rough brown bark. The leaves are simple, measuring 8–16 cm long and 2–5 cm wide, thick and leathery. The upper surface is shiny, lower surface paler green. They taper somewhat at the apex and base, rendering a somewhat diamond-shape. The flowers are generally axillary. Resembling plums in appearance, the edible fruit are 20–50 mm long, purplish or black, containing 3–5 brown and shiny seeds, 2 cm long. They ripen from september to november. The plant bleeds a milky latex-like sap when cut or broken.
The species ranges along the eastern coastline of Australia, from Bulburin in Queensland to the Illawarra region of New South Wales. It grows in various types of rainforest, with specimens on the red basalt soil of the MacPherson Range attaining a large size.
Pouteria australis is protogynous; that is, the female parts of the tree mature before the male parts, to promote outcrossing. The Green Catbird
eats the fruit, and the seeds are eaten by rodents and insects. Scientist Tim Flannery
has proposed that the existence of rainforest trees with such large fruit indicates that a large fruit-eating bird (like a cassowary
) once existed throughout its range as a propagator.
Fast growing and easy to grow, Pouteria australis adapts readily to cultivation, preferring good drainage, as well as moisture, and extra fertilising. It is also tolerant of moderate frosts. It can be used in revegetation projects, and is propagated by seed or cuttings. Black apple fruit is also edible out-of-hand. It has a sweet and fibrous flesh. However, it is also favoured by maggots, which are often found inside. The taste has been reported as variable. Aborigines in the Gosford region are recorded as having eaten the seeds. The tree was originally harvested for its timber by colonialists. The attractively yellow-patterned wood is hard and suitable for making rulers.
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
Planchonella australis, is a medium to tall rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
tree of the family Sapotaceae
Sapotaceae
Sapotaceae is a family of flowering plants, belonging to order Ericales. The family includes approximately 800 species of evergreen trees and shrubs in approximately 65 genera . Distribution is pantropical....
native to 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...
and 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...
, 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...
. It is known by the common name Black Apple, Wild Plum, Yellow buttonwood, Black plum and Yellow bulletwood.
The tree was first described as Achras australis by Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
in his 1810 work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, before being moved to its current binomial name by Baehni in 1942. The alternate name Planchonella australis was coined by Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre
Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre
Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre , also known as J. B. Louis Pierre, was a French botanist known for his Asian studies....
in 1890. It belongs to the large genus Pouteria
Pouteria
Pouteria is a genus of flowering trees in the gutta-percha family, Sapotaceae. The genus is widespread throughout the tropical regions of the world. It includes the Canistel , the Mamey Sapote and the Lúcuma...
which occurs across the tropics from South America to Indonesia and into eastern Australia. A genetic analysis of Internal transcribed spacer
Internal transcribed spacer
ITS refers to a piece of non-functional RNA situated between structural ribosomal RNAs on a common precursor transcript. Read from 5' to 3', this polycistronic rRNA precursor transcript contains the 5' external transcribed sequence , 18S rRNA, ITS1, 5.8S rRNA, ITS2, 28S rRNA and finally the 3'ETS...
RNA material found that Pouteria australis was most closely related a pair of species, Pouteria cotinifolia
Pouteria cotinifolia
Pouteria cotinifolia is an Australian tree in the Sapotaceae family. The common names include Small-leaved Plum, Yellow Lemon and Small-leaved Coondoo...
and Pouteria eerwah
Pouteria eerwah
Pouteria eerwah is a rare species of Australian rainforest tree in the Sapotaceae family. Common names include Shiny-leaved Condoo, Black Plum and Wild Apple. It is endemic to south eastern Queensland, with a restricted distribution and regarded as endangered...
- the three forming a distinct group of Australian species within the genus. An older analysis of DNA material placed it as sister taxon with Pouteria myrsinoides
Pouteria myrsinoides
Pouteria myrsinoides is an Australian tree in the Sapotaceae family. The common names include Yellow Plumwood, Axe-handle Wood and Blunt-leaved Coondoo. It occurs in seaside rainforests and drier rainforests from the Forster, New South Wales to the Lakeland Downs in tropical Queensland.A small...
.
Pouteria australis grows as a tree reaching a maximum height of 30 metres (100 ft), with a fluted trunk up to 120 cm (48 in) diameter, with rough brown bark. The leaves are simple, measuring 8–16 cm long and 2–5 cm wide, thick and leathery. The upper surface is shiny, lower surface paler green. They taper somewhat at the apex and base, rendering a somewhat diamond-shape. The flowers are generally axillary. Resembling plums in appearance, the edible fruit are 20–50 mm long, purplish or black, containing 3–5 brown and shiny seeds, 2 cm long. They ripen from september to november. The plant bleeds a milky latex-like sap when cut or broken.
The species ranges along the eastern coastline of Australia, from Bulburin in Queensland to the Illawarra region of New South Wales. It grows in various types of rainforest, with specimens on the red basalt soil of the MacPherson Range attaining a large size.
Pouteria australis is protogynous; that is, the female parts of the tree mature before the male parts, to promote outcrossing. The 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...
eats the fruit, and the seeds are eaten by rodents and insects. Scientist Tim Flannery
Tim Flannery
Timothy Fridtjof Flannery is an Australian mammalogist, palaeontologist, environmentalist and global warming activist....
has proposed that the existence of rainforest trees with such large fruit indicates that a large fruit-eating bird (like a cassowary
Cassowary
The cassowaries are ratites, very large flightless birds in the genus Casuarius native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, nearby islands and northeastern Australia. There are three extant species recognized today...
) once existed throughout its range as a propagator.
Fast growing and easy to grow, Pouteria australis adapts readily to cultivation, preferring good drainage, as well as moisture, and extra fertilising. It is also tolerant of moderate frosts. It can be used in revegetation projects, and is propagated by seed or cuttings. Black apple fruit is also edible out-of-hand. It has a sweet and fibrous flesh. However, it is also favoured by maggots, which are often found inside. The taste has been reported as variable. Aborigines in the Gosford region are recorded as having eaten the seeds. The tree was originally harvested for its timber by colonialists. The attractively yellow-patterned wood is hard and suitable for making rulers.