Endiandra globosa

Endiandra globosa is a medium-sized Australian rainforest tree. Despite the common name of black walnut, this tree is unrelated to northern hemisphere walnuts, and is a Laurel.

Endiandra globosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Endiandra
Species:
E. globosa
Binomial name
Endiandra globosa

The black walnut is restricted to riverine rainforest. Growing on rich alluvial soils and on moist slopes in subtropical rainforest; in the Brunswick and Tweed valleys in New South Wales and adjacent areas in Queensland. Another population grows from Ingham to Cairns in tropical Queensland.[1]

The black walnut is considered rare, with a ROTAP rating of 2RC-. Several signposted specimens can be seen on the roads around the town of Murwillumbah in north eastern NSW.

Description
habitat of Endiandra globosa, NSW - Qld border
fallen fruit of Endiandra globosa

The unbuttressed trunk is of whitish, grey or brown bark. A mature tree grows to around to 25 metres tall.

Leaves are broad-elliptic to elliptic or ovate, veiny and usually 7–15 cm long, 3–6 cm wide, veins often yellowish. The horizontal form of the branches and attractive dark foliage makes this a particularly beautiful tree.

Creamy white flowers form between October and January. The fruit matures in autumn and is often the size of a tennis ball. The black, fleshy drupe contains a large woody seed, which itself has attractive veiny patterns. Germination is fairly slow but reliable. Roots and shoots appear around November.

References
  1. Floyd, Alexander G., Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, Inkata Press 2008, ISBN 978-0-9589436-7-3 page 195
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