Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Fagraea racemosa Jack ex Wall.


Shrub (woody or herbaceous, 1-6 m tall)
Tree
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Flowers [not vouchered]. CC-BY Australian Tropical Herbarium
Leaves and flowers [not vouchered]. CC-BY Australian Tropical Herbarium
Fruit [not vouchered]. CC-BY Australian Tropical Herbarium
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
Family

Jack, W. (1824) Flora Indica 2: 35. Type: Found by Mr. Jack in the Island of Penang.

Common name

False Coffee Tree; Mock Coffee; Coffee, Woodland; Coffee, Mock; Woodland Coffee

Stem

A small tree seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh. Blaze shortly fibrous. Blaze odour resembling tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum).

Leaves

Leaf blades rather large, about 15-20 x 8-9 cm, apex abruptly acuminate, base truncate or rounded. Petioles of the apical pair of leaves joined and covering the terminal bud. Midrib slightly raised or flush with the upper surface, narrowly triangular in transverse section on the underside of the leaf blade. Petioles grooved or flat on the upper surface. A stipule-like structure encircles the twig at each pair of leaves.

Flowers

Inflorescence peduncled, racemiform with a number of decussate pairs of cymes. Calyx about 3.5-4 mm long. Corolla broadly funnel-shaped, tube about 1.5-4 cm long.

Fruit

Fruits globose, ellipsoid or ovoid, up to 2.5 cm long.

Seedlings

Features not available.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in NT and CYP. Altitudinal range from sea level to 100 m. Grows in gallery forest along permanent creeks usually in swampy or waterlogged situations. Also occurs in Indian Ocean islands, SE Asia, Malesia and the Pacific islands.

Natural History & Notes

A decorative small tree for tropical gardens. The large strongly perfumed flowers are on pendulous inflorescences.

This species may have medicinal properties.

This species has been used medicinally in Malaysia. Cribb (1981).

Synonyms
Kuhlia morindifolia Rein. ex Blume, Bijdr. : 777(1826), Type: Java, Salak Mtns, K.M. Reinwardt; holo: L? Fide P.W. Leenhouts (1962) Fl. Males. 6: 311. Fagraea thwaitesii F.Muell., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 2: 137(1861), Type: In vallibus silvaticis irriguis juxta collem Providence Hill terrae Arnhemensis. Fagraea morindifolia (Reinw.) Blume, Rumphia 2 : 32(1836).
RFK Code
881
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