Plant of

the Month May 2019

Distribution The seed once extracted from the hard outer shell (endocarp) Common Name: Johnstone River Restricted to north-eastern Queensland in tropical wet has a nutty flavour similar to and can be eaten Scientific Name: bancroftii forests of coastal lowlands from Cooktown southwards to fresh or dried. It has traditionally been eaten by Aboriginal F.Muell. & F.M.Bailey Tully. people and special ‘nut-stones’ are often left under trees in order to crack open the nut and reveal the seed. Seeds are Native Habitat Family: being investigated for their commercial potential and can be Rainforest from sea level to 1200 metres. Genus: from the Greek word elaia for eaten fresh, or dried. Description olive and karpos for fruit The fallen fruits are eaten by Southern Cassowaries Grows to 10-30 metres tall with a spreading canopy. Leaves Species epithet: named for Dr. Joseph Bancroft (Casuarinas casuarius) who help distribute the seed. Seeds are large, mid-green ovate and leathery, turning bright red to eaten by one of Australia’s largest rodents, the Giant White- (1836-94), surgeon and farmer, scarlet as they age and fall. arrived in Queensland in 1864 tailed Rat (Uromys caudimaculatus). It can grow to 1kg and is Flowers and Fruit about the size of a rabbit or small cat White bell shaped flowers (approximately 15mm across) Johnstone River Almond is also known as the Kuranda with fringed petals hang in clusters during autumn. They are Quandong and prefers moist, well-drained soil in full to part followed by blue-green football-shaped fruit about 40mm sun. Germination of the seed is slow with a low germination diameter with a leathery sometimes fleshy outer layer. Inside rate. Germination can take 2 or more years. the fruit, the seed is encased in a hard case known as an endocarp. Location in Garden Lawn 24 (The Band Lawn), Use our new Garden Explorer finder at: https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/Visit/Garden-Explorer

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