Trema tomentosa (Roxb.) H.Hara var. tomentosa

Hara, H. (1971) The Flora of Eastern Himalaya 2 : 19.

Poison Peach

Grows into a small or medium-sized tree but also flowers and fruits as a shrub.

Leaf blades about 5-18 x 1.8-6.7 cm. Leaf blade upper and lower surfaces clothed in hairs which are mainly erect and somewhat twisted and not obviously prostrate. Upper surface somewhat scabrous.

Inflorescences rather compact and generally not exceeding the petioles. Flowers about 2.5-3 mm diam. Peduncles short, not at all obvious.

Infructescences compact, not exceeding the petioles. Peduncles difficult to distinguish. Fruit ovoid, about 3-3.5 x 2.5-3 mm, perianth lobes persistent at the base. Stone about 2-2.5 x 2 mm, embryo U-shaped.

Cotyledons elliptic to obovate, about 4-9 x 2-4 mm, 3-veined. First pair of leaves ovate, margin usually with about 2-7 teeth on each side. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves ovate, base cordate. Both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf scabrous, blade clothed in short, stiff, broad-based hairs. Stipules linear-triangular, hairy, about 3-4 x 1 mm. Terminal bud, stem and petiole clothed in dense white hairs. Seed germination time 27 to 272 days.

Occurs in WA, NT, CYP, NEQ and CEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 400 m. Grows in monsoon forest and lowland rain forest. Also occurs in Africa, Asia, Malesia and the Pacific islands.

This species may be poisonous. (http://farrer.riv.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/APOL7/sep97-4. html)