''Cryptocarya microneura'' is a

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 ...

tree growing at the eastern coastal parts of

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 ...

Habitat

Common in most warm temperate rainforest areas on the poorer sedimentary soils, but also in the

littoral The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal areas ...

rainforests. It grows from near

Batemans Bay Batemans Bay is a town on the South Coast region of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Batemans Bay is administered by the Eurobodalla Shire council. The town is situated on the shores of an estuary formed where the Clyde River meets the ...

in the southern

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...

area (35° S) in

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 ...

to near

Nambour, Queensland Nambour is a rural town and locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Nambour had a population of 11,187 people. Geography Nambour is north of the state capital, Brisbane. The town lies in the sub ...

(26° S).

Description

''Cryptocarya microneura'', known as the murrogun is a small or medium-sized tree to around 25 metres tall and 30 cm in diameter. The bark is grey and somewhat corky on small trees, or greyish brown and scaly on larger trees. The trunk is often irregular or fluted in shape. Leaves are alternate and simple, with a long blunt point at the tip. Upper surface glossy dark green, under surface paler green. Flowers appear from September to November, being cream, unscented and in

panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...

s. Flowers are finely downy. The fruit is a

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

. Shiny, black and pointed. 12 mm in diameter with faint vertical ribs. Eaten by rainforest birds including the

topknot pigeon The topknot pigeon (''Lopholaimus antarcticus'') is a pigeon native to eastern Australia. Taxonomy English naturalist George Shaw described the topknot pigeon as ''Columba antarctica'' in 1793. The topknot pigeon is sister taxon to a lineage th ...

. Like most Australian ''

Cryptocarya ''Cryptocarya'' is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes more than 350 species, distributed through the Neotropical, Afrotropical, Indomalayan, and Australasian realms. Overview The genus inc ...

'' fruit, removal of the fleshy

aril An aril (pronounced ), also called an arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode or false aril is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the see ...

is advised to assist seed germination. ''Cryptocarya microneura'' is a larval host plant for the butterflies ''Chaetocneme beata'', ''Netrocoryne repanda'' and ''Graphium sarpedon''. Image:Cryptocarya microneura - leaves.JPG, ''Cryptocarya microneura'' – leaves Image:Cryptocarya microneura - bark.JPG, ''Cryptocarya microneura'' – bark

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1756431 Trees of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Laurales of Australia

microneura ''Microneura'' is a genus of dragonfly in the family Protoneuridae The Protoneuridae are a family of damselflies. Most species are commonly known as threadtails, while others are commonly known as bambootails. Characteristics These are usu ...