''Symplocos thwaitesii'', or the buff hazelwood, 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 in eastern

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 ...

. Seen in tropical, sub-tropical and warm temperate rainforests, often in gullies. Occasionally it grows in cooler situations such as at Monga National Park. The range of natural distribution is from

Orbost Orbost is a historic early settlers town in the Shire of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, Victoria, east of Melbourne and south of Canberra where the Princes Highway crosses the Snowy River. It is about from the surf and fishing seaside t ...

(37° S) in the state of Victoria up the east coast of

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 the

Atherton Tableland The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tina ...

(17° S) in tropical

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_ ...

Description

A small to medium-sized tree, up to 30 metres tall and 80 cm in diameter. Usually much smaller, particularly in

where it is mostly seen between 6 and 12 metres in height. In Victoria it can grow to 22 metres high, with a trunk diameter of 57 cm. The trunk is straight and cylindrical, without buttresses or fluting. The bark is fairly smooth; dark brown in colour. Sometimes with vertical rows of bumps. Flaking plates of bark and vertical cracks may be seen on larger trees.

Leaves

Leaves alternate, firm, heavy and toothed, but not toothed at the base. The leaf serration is more evident and more widely spaced than in the white hazelwood. The leathery leaves "rattle" together when a branch is shaken. The leaf shape is elliptic or wide lanceolate 12 to 18 cm long to a short leaf tip. Leaf venation is easily noticed, particularly on the underside. Net veins are not clearly evident above the leaf, better seen under the leaf. The paler coloured midrib is sunken on the top leaf surface, and raised under the leaf. The leaf stalk is 10 to 15 mm long, flattened on the top side and but ''rounded'' underneath.

Flowers and fruit

The greenish white flowers form on

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

s; occasionally the flowers turn bluish-black. Flowering occurs between the months of September to December, although these trees may flower at other times such as between May and June. Flowers are relatively large, 9 to 15 mm long, giving rise to an alternative common name large-flowered hazelwood. Another distinguishing feature is that the flowers of the similar white hazelwood are on

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, not

s as is the case in this species. 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'') ...

, 12 to 14 mm long, purplish-black and egg-shaped, maturing in January to March. The five sepals persist on the fruit, but not the floral

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

s. The fruit is eaten by the green catbird. Fresh seed should be used for regeneration, after the removal of the

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 ...

References

*
(other publication details, included in citation)

''Symplocos thwaitesii'' at ''NSW Flora Online''
Retrieved 4 August 2009 {{Taxonbar, from=Q7661869 thwaitesii Ericales of Australia Trees of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Victoria (state) Flora of Queensland Trees of mild maritime climate Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller