''Callicoma'' is a plant genus that contains just one species, ''Callicoma serratifolia'', a tall shrub or small tree which is native to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. ''Callicoma serratifolia'' is commonly known as black wattle. One explanation for the name is the similarity of the flowers to those of Australian ''

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

'', which are commonly known as wattles. Another is its use in

wattle and daub Wattle and daub is a composite building method used for making walls and buildings, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung a ...

huts of the early settlers. The species has a number of other common names include callicoma, butterwood, silver leaf, silver-leaf butterwood and wild quince.

Description

Black wattle can grow up to 20 metres in height, though in cultivation it is more likely to reach a height of between 6 and 10 metres with a 3-metre spread. It has lanceolate or elliptic leaves that grow up to 12 cm long and 5 cm wide with coarsely serrate margins. The upper side of the leaves are dark green, while the lower sides are white due to the presence of fine, white hairs. The pale-yellow globular flower heads appear in late spring and early summer (November to December in Australia). These average 1.5 cm in diameter and have 1 to 2 cm long stalks.

Taxonomy

The first published description of the species, in 1809, is attributed to

Henry Cranke Andrews Henry Cranke Andrews (floruit, fl. 1794 – 1830), was an English botanist, botanical artist and engraver. As he always published as Henry C. Andrews, and due to difficulty finding records, the C. was often referred to as Charles, until a reco ...

Distribution

It occurs within, and on the edges of,

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

in near-coastal areas within

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and south-east

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, mostly along drainage lines or near creeks.

References

PlantNET: New South Wales Flora Online: ''Callicoma serratifolia''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2039255 Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Cunoniaceae Monotypic Oxalidales genera Oxalidales of Australia Trees of Australia Taxa named by Henry Cranke Andrews