Litsea bindoniana
Encyclopedia
Litsea bindoniana, known as the Big-leaved Bollywood is a rainforest
tree in the laurel
family. A small to medium sized bushy tree endemic to the rainforests of tropical Queensland
, Australia
. It features large leaves with attractive yellow venation, 25 cm (10 in) long by 10 cm (4 in) wide. They are dark green above, and paler and somewhat hairy below. The leaf stalks are hairy. The small (0.7 cm diameter) greenish flowers are fragrant and occur from March to May. They are followed by fruits which mature from September to October, being a black drupe
. Regeneration is from fresh seed, after removing the fleshy aril
around the seed.
The species was first described by Ferdinand von Mueller
as Cylicodaphne bindoniana in 1865, before he reclassified and renamed it as Litsea bindoniana in 1882. It was named in honour of Victorian 19th century parliamentarian and agriculturist Samuel Henry Bindon. It is one of eleven species in the large Asian genus Litsea
to reach Australia.
Litsea bindoniana is found in central and northern Queensland in forests to altitudes of 1000 m (3500 ft). Its fruit are eaten by the Superb Fruit Dove, along with many other lauraceae. It is also a food plant for the blue triangle (Graphium sarpedon
) and bronze flat (Netrocoryne repanda
). The leaves are used by the Tooth-billed Catbird
(Scenopoeetes dentirostris) to decorate its display court.
Litsea bindoniana is suited as an garden plant in tropical situations. Young plants need protection from winds, as well as plenty of shade and moisture.
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
tree in the laurel
Lauraceae
The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...
family. A small to medium sized bushy tree endemic to the rainforests of tropical Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It features large leaves with attractive yellow venation, 25 cm (10 in) long by 10 cm (4 in) wide. They are dark green above, and paler and somewhat hairy below. The leaf stalks are hairy. The small (0.7 cm diameter) greenish flowers are fragrant and occur from March to May. They are followed by fruits which mature from September to October, being a black drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
. Regeneration is from fresh seed, after removing the fleshy aril
Aril
An aril is any specialized outgrowth from the funiculus that covers or is attached to the seed. It is sometimes applied to any appendage or thickening of the seed coat in flowering plants, such as the edible parts of the mangosteen and pomegranate fruit, the mace of the nutmeg seed, or the...
around the seed.
The species was first described by Ferdinand von Mueller
Ferdinand von Mueller
Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, KCMG was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist.-Early life:...
as Cylicodaphne bindoniana in 1865, before he reclassified and renamed it as Litsea bindoniana in 1882. It was named in honour of Victorian 19th century parliamentarian and agriculturist Samuel Henry Bindon. It is one of eleven species in the large Asian genus Litsea
Litsea
Litsea is a genus of evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes 200 to 400 species in tropical and subtropical areas of both hemispheres.-Overview:Trees or shrubs, dioecious...
to reach Australia.
Litsea bindoniana is found in central and northern Queensland in forests to altitudes of 1000 m (3500 ft). Its fruit are eaten by the Superb Fruit Dove, along with many other lauraceae. It is also a food plant for the blue triangle (Graphium sarpedon
Graphium sarpedon
Graphium sarpedon, the common bluebottle or blue triangle , is a species of swallowtail butterfly found in South and Southeast Asia, as well as parts of Australia. There are approximately 15 subspecies with differing geographical distributions.-Description:Upperside opaque black...
) and bronze flat (Netrocoryne repanda
Netrocoryne repanda
Netrocoryne repanda, the Bronze Flat, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae found in Australia....
). The leaves are used by the Tooth-billed Catbird
Tooth-billed Catbird
The Tooth-billed Catbird, Scenopoeetes dentirostris also known as Stagemaker Bowerbird is a medium-sized, approximately 27 cm long, stocky olive-brown bowerbird with brown-streaked buffish-white below, a grey feet, brown iris and unique tooth-like bill. Both sexes are similar, however the...
(Scenopoeetes dentirostris) to decorate its display court.
Litsea bindoniana is suited as an garden plant in tropical situations. Young plants need protection from winds, as well as plenty of shade and moisture.