Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Ceratopetalum gummiferum

Flowers. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, suburban garden, Canberra, ACT

Flowering stem. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, ACT

Coloured sepals and leaves. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer A Lyne, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, ACT

Tree. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, Mt Penang Gardens near Gosford

Common name

New South Wales Christmas-bush, Christmas Bush

Family

Cunoniaceae

Where found

Open forest, heath, and moist gullies. Coast and ranges north from Broulee. Frequently planted.

Notes

Tree or shrub. Leaves opposite each other, compound, with 3 leaflets usually 3–8 cm long, 5–30 mm wide, distinctly channelled above; margins finely toothed. Flowers with 5 narrow white petals, and 5 white petal-like sepals, 2 mm long, enlarging to 12 mm and turning pink to red at the seeding stage. Flower clusters to 10 cm long. Flowers spring, fruits summer.

PlantNET description:   http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Ceratopetalum~gummiferum 
(accessed 7 January, 2021)