Elaeocarpus grahamii

F. Muell.

Qandong

Elaeocarpaceae Edible: Fruit 19 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Elaeocarpus grahamii is a species of flowering plant in the family Elaeocarpaceae and is endemic to north-east Queensland. It is a small to medium-sized tree, sometimes coppicing, with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves, flowers with five petals that have a frilled tip, and oval blue fruit.

Description

A tall tree. It grows 15-25 m tall and spreads 8-12 m wide. It can have buttresses. The bark is dark grey. Young shoots have silky hairs. The leaves are simple and 8-17 cm long by 2.5-4 cm wide. . There are hairs along the veins on both sides of the leaf. The flowering shoots are 7-12 cm long and the flowers are 0.6 cm long. They are white and the flower stalks are 1.5 cm long. The fruit is 7.5-11 mm long by 6-8 mm wide. They occur grouped along stalks in the axils of leaves and from trunks. There is one seed inside. This is 7-9 mm long. The flesh of the fruit is edible.

Edible Uses

The flesh of the fruit is edible.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows naturally in lowland and foothill rainforest in Queensland, Australia. It grows between sea level and 750 m altitude. Coffs Harbour Botanical Gardens.

Where It Grows

Australia*,

Notes

There are about 360 Elaeocarpus species mostly in the tropics.

References (5)

Cooper, W. & Cooper, W. T., 1994, Fruits of the Rain Forest. RD Press p 106
Cooper, W. and Cooper, W., 2004, Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Nokomis Editions, Victoria, Australia. p 160
Elliot, W.R., & Jones, D.L., 1984, Encyclopedia of Australian Plants suitable for cultivation. Vol 3. Lothian. p 386
Jackes, B.R., 2001, Plants of the Tropics. Rainforest to Heath. An Identification Guide. James Cook University. p 51
Townsend, K., 1994, Across the Top. Gardening with Australian Plants in the tropics. Society for Growing Australian Plants, Townsville Branch Inc. p 175