Rhodomyrtus pervagata
Guymer
Iron wood, Rusty Rhodomyrtus
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(c) Graham Bell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Graham Bell
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) ryanthughes, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) ryanthughes, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Summary
Source: WikipediaRhodomyrtus pervagata, commonly known as ironwood or rusty rhodomyrtus, is a species of plants in the clove and eucalyptus family Myrtaceae, found only in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is a shrub or small tree to 8 m (26 ft) high and a trunk diameter up to 14 cm (5.5 in), with simple 3-veined leaves and very small flowers up to 3.5 mm (0.14 in) diameter. It grows in and on the margins of coastal and sub-coastal rainforest, from the Windsor Tablelands south to the Paluma Range National Park. It prefers soils derived from granite or basalt. The species epithet pervagata means 'common' and refers to its habit of growing along roadsides.
Description
A tree which grows up to 10 m tall. The leaves are simple and 5-16 cm long. The underside is softly hairy. The fruit are 12-18 mm long by 9-13 mm wide. They occur singly or in clusters in the axils of leaves. There are 42-60 seeds which are about 2 mm across. The fruit are edible.
Edible Uses
The fruit are edible.
Distribution
A tropical plant. They grow naturally in rainforest in NE Queensland in Australia. It grows between 350-1,250 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Australia*,
Synonyms
References (3)
- Cooper W & Cooper W T, 1994, Fruits of the Rain Forest. RD Press p 244
- Jackes, B.R., 2001, Plants of the Tropics. Rainforest to Heath. An Identification Guide. James Cook University. p 69
- Townsend, K., 1994, Across the Top. Gardening with Australian Plants in the tropics. Society for Growing Australian Plants, Townsville Branch Inc. p 329
