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Ehretia acuminata

Ehretia acuminata is a deciduous tree native to regions from India to Japan and south to eastern Australia. It was first described in 1810 and has the conservation status of least concern. In Australia it is commonly known as koda.

Description

Ehretia acuminata is a medium to large tree, reaching in height. The bark is grey and smooth and the trunk may be fluted.

Leaves, flowers and fruit

The leaves are alternate and simple, tapering to a tip, finely toothed, long. Smooth and green on both surfaces slightly hairy above. The midrib and lateral veins are distinct on both sides of the leaf, raised beneath.

Flowers are white, sweetly scented, in panicles. Individual flowers are without a stalk, about in diameter. Flowers appear in September to November in the southern hemisphere.

The fruit matures from January to April in Australia, in China in September, being a yellow or orange drupe, in diameter, containing four seeds. The fruit is edible to humans with a sweet taste. Fruit are eaten by many rainforest birds, including the Lewin's honeyeater, rose-crowned fruit-dove, brown cuckoo dove, wompoo fruit dove and Australasian figbird.

Distribution and habitat

It is native to the following regions as defined in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, and has been introduced to Mauritius, Pakistan and Réunion.

  • China: China South-Central, China Southeast
  • Eastern Asia: Japan, Korea, Nansei-shoto, Taiwan
  • Indian Subcontinent: Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Nepal, West Himalaya
  • Indo-China: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
  • Malesia: Jawa, Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaya, Maluku, Philippines
  • Papuasia: New Guinea
  • Australia: New South Wales, Queensland

In China this plant occurs in open forests and thickets at altitudes from . In Australia it is found on the east coast, in and on the margins of rainforest and drier forest types, from the far south of New South Wales (around Bega) to northeast Queensland near Cairns. There, its altitudinal range is from sea level to about .

Uses

Ehretia acuminata is used for roadside plantings, building and furniture timber, as well as in Traditional Chinese medicine.

References

Further reading

  • Floyd, A.G., Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, Inkata Press 1989,