Mystery Plant - ID needed (forum)

Phil@Tyalgum starts with ...
I wonder if anyone could tell me what species this might be. Around 30' tall, far Northern New South Wales, unusual velvety fruit with a largish nut inside. Looks a little like a dogwood fruit but different type of leaf. Growing by the side of the road, not sure if cultivated or indigenous. Thanks.
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Time: 2nd December 2010 4:49pm

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allybanana says...
My gut feeling is a macadamia relative by the look of leaves branches and fruiting stalks not to mention the nuts

Time: 2nd December 2010 6:09pm

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About the Author allybanana
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micarle says...
NO idea but i like the look of it... Phil have you eaten it??

Time: 2nd December 2010 6:22pm

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allybanana says...
No luck with the edible Proteace nuts so far, I have looked at hickbeachia pinnatafolia red bopple nut, Athertonia diversifolia.

Micarle you would know if it was Gevuina avellana, chilian hazel, how are they growing by the way.

I might be on the wrong track with Proteace.

Time: 2nd December 2010 6:49pm

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trikus says...
Mabolo , or Velvet Apple another relative of Black Sapote ..Diospyros blancoi
a.k.a. Diospyros discolor

Time: 2nd December 2010 7:38pm

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micarle says...
No i think your on the right track, i think its in the proteace family. Those nuts look quite large. My two chilian hazels are only small but are going well, i have not tasted a nut but my old boss said they are like a very sweet hazel with the consistency of a brazil nut! sounds ok to me

Time: 2nd December 2010 7:38pm

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BJ says...
Looks a lot like Mabolo, but the Calyx is absent and there's a nut inside...

Time: 2nd December 2010 8:39pm

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About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas
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micarle says...
The little stem attached to the fruit really looks proteaceous. Thats stem looks identical to a Macadaimia...

Time: 2nd December 2010 8:52pm

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Phil@Tyalgum says...
No haven't been game to eat it, I must say it looked Macadamia like when I cut it open, but not hard shelled - seed cavity is not anything like Diospyros.

Time: 2nd December 2010 9:39pm

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BJ says...
Possibly Owenia venosa? But those fruits look too pretty...

Time: 2nd December 2010 10:01pm

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allybanana says...
Interesting now you mention Owenia, those leaves do look a bit like large compound leaves with big leaflets.

Time: 2nd December 2010 11:46pm

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Phil@Tyalgum says...
Yes similar form but fruit are somewhat different, more of a velvet-like fuzz on the ones I collected.

Time: 3rd December 2010 9:30am

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Jake says...
Hey Phil did you see any flowers which might help identify the tree?

Time: 3rd December 2010 1:43pm

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Phil@Tyalgum says...
No I only just noticed the tree this week, since it started fruiting.

Time: 4th December 2010 9:25am

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speedy says...
My guess would be that it's a native member a member of Sapindaceae or Meliaceae Family.
Phil, check out 'the red book'
Williams, Harden and McDonald- 'Trees and shrubs in Rainforests of Northern New South Wales and Southern Queensland' (1984).

Notice the domatia on the underside of the leaflets where the veins meet the midribs a vital clue to ID when you key it out.
also the arrangement and number (odd or even) of leaflets per leaf is another vital clue.
good luck.

Time: 7th December 2010 8:22am

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speedy says...
Hey Phil,
how about Brown Tamarind (Castanospora alphandii)?

Hugh and Nan's site should be a good help for you identifying natives where you are.
http://www.rainforestpublishing.com.au/index.php?href=botanical&dir=botanical_pages&subpage=view&ext=php&array_place=3&item_id=209#image_209

speedy

Time: 7th December 2010 8:40am

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allybanana says...
Looks pretty good speedy, phils fruit looks a bit more lateraly compresed but that might not be an issue

Time: 7th December 2010 12:53pm

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Phil@Tyalgum says...
Hey thanks for pointing me in the right direction, the ID looks spot on. Will collect some more fruit now I know it's a local species, appreciate the links to the literature as well. Phil.

Time: 7th December 2010 4:02pm

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Polly says...
Have you ruled out all the Lilly Pillies? There is a wide range of them and one of the seed photos looks possible, I'm no botanist so just a thought.

Time: 7th December 2010 4:22pm

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About the Author Polly
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Phil@Tyalgum says...
Yeah thanks Polly, I think Speedy has hit the mark once again.

Time: 7th December 2010 4:46pm

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BJ says...
yep, obvious now. There's an even more definitive image on the Greening Australia nursery site.

If you do try eating one, let us know how it goes. I've not had any descriptions about this one, but assume it would be very acid, but alright for drinks and sauce...

Time: 7th December 2010 8:38pm

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fruitist says...
Syzygium has calyx at the base of each fruit. Also the shape is sort of cylindrical or pyramidal. I doubt your fruit is a Syzygium.



Time: 7th December 2010 9:38pm

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phil@tyalgum says...
Help needed again with this flowering/fruiting tree photographed near Kerala in South India
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Time: 12th January 2014 3:46pm

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Mike Tr says...
Cannon ball tree.They are around here as well.

Time: 12th January 2014 4:09pm

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phil@tyalgum says...
Thanks Mike, will pass the info on to the photographer. Phil.

Time: 12th January 2014 5:22pm

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