Sterculia quadrifida

Sterculia quadrifida, also known as the peanut tree, monkey nut[3] or red-fruited kurrajong is a small tree that grows in the rainforests, vine thickets, and gallery forests of New Guinea and northern Australia.[4]

Peanut tree
Seed capsule and seeds
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Sterculia
Species:
S. quadrifida
Binomial name
Sterculia quadrifida

The tree grows to a height of 30 m (98 ft)[5] and has a spreading deciduous canopy. The bark is a light grey and the leaves are dark green and broad egg-shaped or sometimes heart-shaped at the base. The flowers, which are greenish-yellow and are borne in small clusters in the upper axils, occur from November to January (summer in Australia).

Seed pods are orange outside and orange or red inside when ripe. These pods contain up to 8 black seeds that are edible and taste like raw peanuts.[6]

The bitter black coating on the seeds is removed before consumption.

Alternative common names for this species include kuman, orange-fruited kurrajong, orange-fruited sterculia, red-fruited kurrajong, smooth-seeded kurrajong, white crowsfoot and small-flowered kurrajong.

The bark is used by Aboriginal people in their traditional weaving techniques to make baskets and other products.

  • S. quadrifida aspect.
    S. quadrifida aspect.
  • S. quadrifida flowers.
    S. quadrifida flowers.
  • S. quadrifida ripe fruit and foliage.
    S. quadrifida ripe fruit and foliage.

References
  1. Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) & IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group. (2018). "Sterculia quadrifida". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T136089280A136089282. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T136089280A136089282.en. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  2. "Sterculia quadrifida". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  3. Records of the South Australian Museum. Vol. 27–28. 1993. p. 38. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  4. F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Sterculia quadrifida". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  5. Cooper, Wendy; Cooper, William T. (June 2004). Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia: Nokomis Editions. p. 534. ISBN 9780958174213. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  6. Across the Top - Gardening with Australian Plants in the Tropics, Keith Townshend ISBN 0-909830-46-0
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