Skip to main content

Acronychia wilcoxiana

(F. Muell.) T. Hartley

Silver aspen

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

(c) Nicholas John Fisher, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Nicholas John Fisher

iNaturalist· cc-by-sa

(c) Greg Tasney, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

iNaturalist· cc-by-sa

(c) Greg Tasney, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Acronychia wilcoxiana, commonly known as silver aspen, doughwood, snowwood or mushyberry, is a species of small rainforest tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has simple, elliptical to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, relatively large groups of whitish flowers in leaf axils and broadly oval to more or less spherical, white fruit.

Description

A tall shrub. It grows 3-9 m high and spreads 3-5 m across. It has a round to spreading crown. The leaves are 7-20 cm long and 2-9 cm wide. There is only one leaflet. It is shaped like an ellipse and has a blunt end. These leaves are attractive large shiny leaves. They are paler under the leaf. The flowers are 1.5-2 cm across. They are yellowish. They occur in many flowered clusters 4-6 cm long. The fruit is 0.8-1.5 cm across and 4-8 lobed. It is juicy/fleshy and white when mature.

Edible Uses

The white, juicy fruit is edible when mature.

Distribution

It occurs in coastal regions of New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It is a rainforest plant suiting subtropical to warm temperate areas. It requires well drained soil. It responds to watering in the dry season. It can grow on sandy soils. It can grow in shade or sun.

Where It Grows

Australia*,

Cultivation

It is grown from seed. The seed are difficult to germinate. It can also be grown from cuttings.

Production

Fruit mature April to May.

Notes

There are 42-50 Acronychia species.

Synonyms

Pleiococca wilcoxiana

Also Known As

Wild aspen

References (5)

  • Cherikoff V. & Isaacs, J., The Bush Food Handbook. How to gather, grow, process and cook Australian Wild Foods. Ti Tree Press, Australia p 194
  • Cribb, A.B. & J.W., 1976, Wild Food in Australia, Fontana. p 50 (As Pleiococca wilcoxiana)
  • Elliot, W.R., & Jones, D.L., 1982, Encyclopedia of Australian Plants suitable for cultivation. Vol 2. Lothian. p 143
  • Jones D, L, 1986, Ornamental Rainforest Plants in Australia, Reed Books, p 104, 340 (As Pleiococca wilcoxiana)
  • Low, T., 1991, Wild Food Plants of Australia. Australian Nature FieldGuide, Angus & Robertson. p 72

More from Rutaceae