Elaeocarpus holopetalus

Black Olive Berry
Elaeocarpus holopetalus growing at Blue Mountains National Park, Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Oxalidales
Family:	Elaeocarpaceae
Genus:	Elaeocarpus
Species:	E. holopetalus
Binomial name
Elaeocarpus holopetalus F. Muell.

Elaeocarpus holopetalus is a small rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It grows from near the Snowy River (37° S) to Chaelundi National Park (29° S) in northern New South Wales. It grows at high altitude in gullies.

Often seen with the Southern Sassafras. Such as at Errinundra National Park, South East Forest National Park, Blue Mountains National Park and Barrington Tops National Park. It is also associated with the Antarctic Beech at Barrington Tops National Park and other northerly sites such as New England National Park.

Common names include Black Olive Berry, Mountain Blue-berry and Mountain Quandong.

Description

Usually a large bush or a small tree. However rare specimens are most impressive; being 2 metres wide at the base, and 25 metres tall. The trunk is straight with dark grey or brown outer bark. Relatively smooth with some fissures and wrinkles.

Leaves are particularly serrated, 3 to 7 cm long. Mid to dark green above, paler below. Leaves show prominent venation, particularly on the underside. Another identifying feature of this and other Elaeocarpus trees is the senescent red leaves.

White flowers appear on paired racemes in November and December. The fruit is a black or (immature) maroon coloured drupe, 9 mm long, maturing from March to October. Like many Australian Elaeocarpus trees, germination is slow and difficult. However, cuttings prove more successful.

Gallery

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  Elaeocarpus holopetalus growing at Blue Mountains National Park

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  Elaeocarpus holopetalus - leaves & fruit

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  A mountain stream with orange/red senescent leaves of Elaeocarpus holopetalus. Other leaves are Southern Sassafras & Blue Mountains Ash.

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  Black Olive Berry growing as a hemiepiphyte on a Soft Tree Fern at Devil's Creek, South East Forest National Park

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  Elaeocarpus holopetalus (left) and Southern Sassafras (right) near Nimmitabel, Australia

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  Black Olive Berry at its best development. 25 metres tall at Mount Imlay, Australia

References

• Floyd, A.G., Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, Inkata Press 1989, ISBN 0-909605-57-2