Endiandra globosa

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.

Endiandra globosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Endiandra
Species:
E. globosa
Binomial name
Endiandra globosa

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.

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