Sterculia quadrifida
Encyclopedia
Sterculia quadrifida, also known as the Peanut Tree, or Red-fruited kurrajong is a small tree that grows in the rainforest
s, vine thickets and gallery forest
s of coastal Queensland
and north-eastern New South Wales
.
The tree grows to a height of 5 -10 metres and has a spreading deciduous canopy. The bark is a light grey and the leaves are dark green and broad egg-shaped or sometimes heart-shaped at the base. The flowers, which are greenish-yellow and are borne in small clusters in the upper axils, occur from November to January (summer in Australia).
Seed pods are orange outside and orange or red inside when ripe. These pods contain up to 8 black seeds that are edible and taste like raw peanuts.
Alternative common names for this species include Kuman, Orange-fruited Kurrajong, Orange-fruited Sterculia, Red-fruited Kurrajong, Smooth-seeded Kurrajong, White Crowsfoot and Small-flowered Kurrajong.
The bark is used by Aboriginal people
in their traditional weaving
techniques to make baskets and other products.
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s, vine thickets and gallery forest
Gallery forest
Gallery forests are evergreen forests that form as corridors along rivers or wetlands and project into landscapes that are otherwise only sparsely treed such as savannas, grasslands or deserts....
s of coastal 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...
and north-eastern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
The tree grows to a height of 5 -10 metres and has a spreading deciduous canopy. The bark is a light grey and the leaves are dark green and broad egg-shaped or sometimes heart-shaped at the base. The flowers, which are greenish-yellow and are borne in small clusters in the upper axils, occur from November to January (summer in Australia).
Seed pods are orange outside and orange or red inside when ripe. These pods contain up to 8 black seeds that are edible and taste like raw peanuts.
Alternative common names for this species include Kuman, Orange-fruited Kurrajong, Orange-fruited Sterculia, Red-fruited Kurrajong, Smooth-seeded Kurrajong, White Crowsfoot and Small-flowered Kurrajong.
The bark is used by Aboriginal people
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
in their traditional weaving
Australian Aboriginal fibrecraft
Australian Aboriginal fibrecraft refers to the various ways Australian Aborigines created fibres traditionally. Materials used depended on where the people lived in Australia.-Bark:...
techniques to make baskets and other products.