Small tree to 5-10 m in the warmer, humid areas in the coastal belt from South-East Queensland to southern New South Wales. Extends inland to the NSW tablelands. Grows on heavier soils. Best growth is in moist, well-drained, relatively fertile flats along watercourses. Branchlets are green, sometimes exude resin. Foliage is bipinnate, meaning divided twice. Young leaves can be orange-brown. Flowers are yellow (lemon yellow to golden yellow) puffballs. Pods have sparse hairs, bumps where seeds are, usually up to 60 mm long, and 5-10 mm wide. Flowers November to February, seeds 7-9 months later. 100,000 viable seeds per kilogram. Boiling water for one minute promotes germination.
Photo: T. Tame, PLantNET
Foliage Close-up
Host Plant for Moonlight Jewel Hypochrysops delicia – caterpillar is brown and hairy, with a dark dorsal stripe, and diagonal markings. It has a black head, and dark shiny plates on the thorax and on the eighth abdominal segment. It is usually attended by the small black ants. By day it hides under bark or a borehole, or is taken by the ants into their nest. By night it emerges, often herded out by the ants, to feed. Also host for Tailed Emperor Polyura sempronius, Emerald Hairstreak Jalmens daemeli, Common Imperial Hairstreak Jalmenus evagoras evagoras, Stencilled Hairstreak Jalmenus ictinus, Silky Hairstreak Pseudalmenus chlorinda, Double-spotted Line-blue Nacaduba biocellata.
References and Resources
Photo: Robert Whyte
