What's in a Name? Eugenia smithii, then Acmena smithii, now In 1790, Joseph Banks planted one of these lovely trees in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. At that time it was recorded as Eugenia smithii. Since then, much confusion concerning the name has ensued. For many years the horticultural industry in Australia continued to use the name Eugenia smithii, then more recently, Acmena smithii. Now taxonomists have reviewed the work of German botanist Franz Niedenzu (1893) and decided that this species belongs more appropriately in the genus Syzygium. This change has been accepted by the Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria (CHAH) and this particular Lilly Pilly is now recognised as Syzygium smithii. Syzygium smithii is widespread along the coast of Eastern Australia, from King Island (Tasmania), Victoria, New South Wales to far north Queensland. The more generally occurring form is a tall tree with rounded leaves and usually creamy white berries, and is common in gullies in the Sydney area. However, Acmena smithii – Rheophytic Race – or Creek Lilly Pilly, which grows along streams in rainforest gullies north from Sydney to Queensland, is a relatively small tree with narrow leaves and brightly coloured edible fruit. The name rheophyte comes from Ancient Greek: ῥέω – rhéō – to flow and φυτόν – phutón – a plant, thus rheophytes are plants that can grow in fast flowing creeks or rivers. This Lilly Pilly also has an abundance of common names, including Coast Satinash, Eungella Gum, Lilly pilly Satinash, Narrow Leaved Lilly Pilly, Red Apple, Watergum, Scrub Mahogany…….. Keep in mind that there are a number of genera and many, many species of Lilly Pilly in Australia. All belong in the Myrtle family, Myrtaceae, which includes eucalypts, bottlebrush and tea trees. Lilly Pillies are mostly found in rainforests of Eastern Australia and differ from most of their Australian relatives from dry environments in that they usually have large, dark green leaves with relatively few oil glands and have fleshy fruits rather than hard, dry fruit. Syzygium smithii will attract parrots, fruit eating pigeons, doves, bowerbirds, flying foxes and possums to your garden and is recommended as a fire inhibitor by various NSW Fire Authorities and local councils. Look for this Lilly Pilly fruiting now in the Bush Tucker Garden on the southern side of Building F7B near the thermal storage tower. Information on the Bush Tucker Garden can be found on the pages of the Macquarie University Arboretum web site: http://www.mq.edu.au/arboretum //Gardens/gardens.html or contact Arboretum co-ordinator Samantha Newton at: [email protected] BPM Hyland, T Whiffin, FA Zich, Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants http://keys.trin.org.au/key-server/data/0e0f0504-0103-430d-8004-060d07080d04/media/Html/taxon/Syzygium_smithii.htmFamily Niedenzu, F.J. (1893) Die Naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien 3(7): 85. Map modified from Australian Native Plant Society: http://anpsa.org.au/a-smi.html Alison Downing, Kevin Downing and Brian Atwell Department of Biological Sciences th Monday, 28 July, 2014 .