Endiandra globosa

Endiandra globosa
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Endiandra
Species: E. globosa
Binomial name
Endiandra globosa
Maiden & Betche

Endiandra globosa is a medium sized Australian rainforest tree. Despite the common name of Black Walnut, this tree is unrelated to northern hemisphere walnuts, and is a Laurel.

The Black Walnut is restricted to riverine rainforest. Growing on rich alluvial soils and on moist slopes in subtropical rainforest; in the Brunswick and Tweed valleys in New South Wales and adjacent areas in Queensland. Another population grows from Ingham to Cairns in tropical Queensland.[1]

The Black Walnut is considered rare, with a ROTAP rating of 2RC-. Several signposted specimens can be seen on the roads around the town of Murwillumbah in north eastern NSW.

Description

habitat of Endiandra globosa, NSW - Qld border
fallen fruit of Endiandra globosa

The unbuttressed trunk is of whitish, grey or brown bark. A mature tree grows to around to 25 metres tall.

Leaves are broad-elliptic to elliptic or ovate, veiny and usually 7–15 cm long, 3–6 cm wide, veins often yellowish. The horizontal form of the branches and attractive dark foliage makes this a particularly beautiful tree.

Creamy white flowers form between October and January. The fruit matures in autumn and is often the size of a tennis ball. The black, fleshy drupe contains a large woody seed, which itself has attractive veiny patterns. Germination is fairly slow but reliable. Roots and shoots appear around November.

References

  1. ↑ Floyd, A.G., Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, Inkata Press 2008, ISBN 978-0-9589436-7-3 page 195