Understorey tree
Small tree to 7 metres, branchlets striate. Grows in most types of rainforest and margins with wet sclerophyll forest. Leaves elliptic to oblanceolate, rarely lanceolate, mostly 4-12 cm long, 10-45 mm wide, apex acute, sometimes acuminate or rounded, margins finely and often irregularly toothed to rarely entire, hairless and glossy, veins slightly raised on upper surface; petiole 2-5 mm long. Green to orange, globular three-segmented capsule splitting to reveal a brown seed surrounded by a red aril. Fruit is ripe February to June.
Photo: Robert Whyte
The leaves are quite variable, as you can see by the photo above with narrow leaves, and this one with broad, more egg-shaped (ovate) leaves. These seem to be variations between individual plants, in this case growing side by side. The insect shown here is a crane fly, family Tipulidae, possibly a Tiger Crane Fly Nephrotoma australasiae. Flies in this family look like giant mosquitoes.
Flowers in bud. Photo: Robert Whyte
These specimens at Walton Bridge Reserve are growing right next to one of the Celastrus genera, Celastrus subspicatus (CELASTRACEAE) Large Leaved Staff Vine, also in the Celastracae. Looking at them side by side one can clearly see the resemblance in the leaves which has led to the species name.
New growth. Photo: Robert Whyte
Creamy green flower spikes from leaf axils from October to November are unspectacular, rather small and blending in with the foliage. The name Denhamia after Captain Dixon Denham (1786-1826), English traveller and explorer; celastroides from family Celastraceae and Greek oides resembling because of the species resemblance to the genus Celastrastrus
Flowers close-up. Photo: Robert Whyte
Medicinal and other uses
In 2015 SOWN members Marina Novak, Russell Harission and Robert Whyte assisted researchers from Griffith University to take plant material from a Denhamia celastroides specimen at Walton Bridge Reserve. The researchers found new natural chemical compounds called denhaminols in the Denhamia celastroides material. Laboratory tests went on to show these compounds can block specific nutrient transport in human prostate cancer cells and affect cell growth. Research was ongoing in 2026.
Seed collecting and propagation
Green to orange, globular three-segmented capsule splitting to reveal a brown seed surrounded by a red aril. Fruit is ripe February to June. Mature fruits and fresh seeds are important for successful germination. Seed germinates but may take some months. Subsequent growth is quite slow.
