''Aceratium'' is a genus of about 20 species of trees and shrubs of eastern

Malesia Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and the boundaries of the Indomalayan and Australasian realms, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom. It has been given different definitions. Th ...

and

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...

from the family

Elaeocarpaceae Elaeaocarpaceae is a family of flowering plants. The family contains approximately 615 species of trees and shrubs in 12 genera."Elaeocarpaceae" In: Klaus Kubitzki (ed.). ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants'' vol. VI. Springer-Verlag: Be ...

. In Australia they are commonly known as carabeens. They grow naturally in rainforests, as large shrubs to understorey trees and large trees. They grow naturally in

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

, the centre of diversity, in New Britain, New Ireland,

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

, Sulawesi,

Moluccas The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located ...

, and in Australia, where botanists have formally described five species

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the Wet Tropics rainforests of northeastern

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 , establishe ...

. Some species have uses for their fruits as food and, although not yet well known, some have popularity in cultivation, for example in Brisbane.

Selected species

* '' Aceratium archboldianum'' – New Guinea * '' Aceratium braithwaitei'' – New Guinea * '' Aceratium brassii'' – New Guinea * '' Aceratium concinnum'' – Qld, Australia * '' Aceratium doggrellii'' – Qld, Australia * '' Aceratium ferrugineum'' – Qld, Australia * '' Aceratium ledermannii'' – New Guinea, New Britain * '' Aceratium megalospermum'' – Qld, Australia * '' Aceratium muellerianum'' – New Guinea * '' Aceratium oppositifolium'' – Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea region: Kai Islands through to the Santa Cruz group, New Britain, New Ireland, Solomon Islands * '' Aceratium pachypetalum'' – W New Guinea * '' Aceratium parvifolium'' – New Guinea * '' Aceratium pittosporoides'' ; Syn: ''A. breviflorum'' – New Guinea * '' Aceratium sericeum'' – W New Guinea * '' Aceratium sericoleopsis'' – Qld, Australia * '' Aceratium sinuatum'' – New Guinea * '' Aceratium sphaerocarpum'' ; Syn: ''A. erythrocarpum'' – New Guinea * '' Aceratium tomentosum'' – New Guinea

References

Elaeocarpaceae Flora of Papua New Guinea Flora of Queensland Flora of Vanuatu Flora of Malesia Elaeocarpaceae genera {{Australia-rosid-stub