Notelaea ligustrina

Location & distribution maps

Plant  information

Common name:         Privet Mock Olive  

• Also, native olive, doral or silkwood

Conservation status: . . .

Etymology:   

• New Latin, from not- + Greek elaia olive tree  

• The specific epithet ligustrina refers to the Privet, which it resembles

Flowers

• From January to April, greenish yellow flowers form racemes extending from the leaf axils

Fruit:                            

• Relatively large fruit mature from summer to Easter, and are up to 10 mm in diameter

• These fruits are generally a shade of pink, varying from white to a dark purple

• Though edible and often heavy yielding, the fruit have a large pip and a strong, bitter taste which gives them little food value

Leaves:         

• It features dull, hairless leaves that are 3 to 10 cm long and 10 to 25 mm wide

• Leaf stems are purple in colour and 2 to 5 mm long

Stem & branches: 

• A trunk diameter of 80 cm

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A shrub or small tree capable of growing up to 16 m tall

Habitat:   

• In and near rainforests

Distribution:                  

• Found in south eastern Australia

• It is known to grow south of Monga National Park in NSW, and into Victoria and Tasmania

Additional notes:     

Sources of information:

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