Litsea reticulata

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information:

Wikipedia links:       Angiosperms > Magnoliids > Laurales > Lauraceae > Litsea reticulata

Other links:     

Plant  information

Common name:                Bollywood  

• Also,  bollygum, brown beech, sycamore, brown Bollywood, soft bollygum, and brown bollygum

• "bollies" is the colloquial name for depressions caused by the shedding of round scales of bark

Conservation status:  Least concern

• A common Australian tree

Etymology:   

• Litsea is derived from Chinese 'li', means plum, and 'tse', means small

• Reticulata is from Latin and means "netted"

Flowers:                  

• It is dioecious (male and female flowers are on separate trees)

• Flowers cream or green with pink

• Flowering period is May to July

Fruit:                         

• The fruit matures from November to April

• It is a purple/black 14 mm long drupe, in a green cup shaped receptacle, with a single seed, 11 mm long

• Seed germination can be slow

• However, at other times, 60% germination result can be achieved within a month of sowing

• The flesh should be removed from the fruit before sowing the seeds

• Fruit are eaten by many rainforest birds, including the wompoo fruit dove, catbird, topknot pigeon and white-headed pigeon

Leaves:         

• The leaves are alternate, not toothed. 5 to 10 cm long

• Blunt or slightly pointed, the leaves are veiny underneath

• Leaf stalks are 5 to 12 mm long

Stem & branches: 

• Occasionally reaching 40 metres in height and a 150 cm in trunk diameter

• The bark is a grey, brown and scaly, with numerous depressions caused by the shedding of round scales of bark, colloquially known as "bollies"

• Exposed bark is a paler colour, giving the trunk a patchy appearance

• Slightly buttressed or flanged at the base

Roots:         

Habit:        

•  A medium to large size tree, occasionally reaching 40 m

Habitat:   

• Rainforest of most types, except the dryer forms

Distribution:                  

• Near Milton, NSW to the Bunya Mountains, Queensland

Additional notes:     

• Taxonomy

  • Litsea reticulata was first described by Meisner in 1864 as Tetranthera reticulata

  • Given its current name by von Mueller in 1882

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litsea_reticulata (2023)