Margaritaria indica (Dalzell) Airy Shaw

Airy Shaw, H.K. (1967) Kew Bulletin 20: 387.

Bark rather coarsely flaky and having a piebald appearance when viewed from a distance. Blaze distinctly layered, cream and pink. Pale brown brittle stripes in the blaze.

Leaf blades about 5-13 x 3-6 cm, rather thin in texture. Stipules caducous, about 4 mm long, tapering to a point. Numerous pale lenticels on the twigs.

Flowers small and inconspicuous, pedicels filiform up to 10 mm long. Tepals about 1-2 mm long. Disk +/- flat topped, margin smooth. Staminal filaments about 1.5 mm long emerging from within the disk.

Fruits depressed globular, about 7 x 8 mm, pedicels slender, about 10-15 mm long. Aril has a metallic sheen. Fruits disintegrating at maturity leaving only the pedicel and central axis attached to the tree.

Cotyledons ovate, about 6 mm long. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade elliptic, apex acute, base attenuate, upper surface glabrous; stipules triangular, glabrous. Seed germination time 149 to 330 days.

Occurs in CYP. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 100 m. A characteristic tree of the well developed gallery forest of Cape York Peninsula north of Coen. Also occurs in Asia and Malesia.