Syzygium ingens

Location & distribution maps

Plant  information

Common name:         Red Apple

Conservation status: Endangered

Etymology:   

Flowers

• The flowers are borne in panicles on the ends of branchlets, the panicles shorter than the leaves

• The five sepals are fused at the base forming a bell-shaped floral cup about 3 mm in diameter with rounded lobes

• The five petals are white, more or less oblong and 1–2 mm long with irregular edges

• Flowering occurs from November to December

Fruit:                            

• The fruit is a dark pink to red, spherical to oval berry, 25–30 mm long, 15–40 mm in diameter 

• Contains single seed surrounded by white flesh

• Birds seen eating the fruit of this species include wompoo fruit dove, green catbird, eastern rosella, pied currawong and topknot pigeon

Leaves:         

• Are arranged in opposite pairs, narrow elliptic to oblong, 60–180 mm long and 20–50 mm wide

• A reddish petiole 2–8 mm long

• The upper surface of the leaves is glossy green and the lower surface is paler with a raised mid-rib

Stem & branches: 

• Typically grows to a height of up to 40 m

• A dbh of up to 90 cm 

• It has a smooth, straight, greyish or fawn-coloured trunk that is buttressed at the base of older specimens

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A medium-sized to tall tree

Habitat:   

• Grows on volcanic soil

Distribution:                  

• Endemic to eastern Australia

• From near Gympie in south eastern Queensland to Casino in northern NSW

Additional notes:     

• With narrow elliptic to oblong leaves and panicles of white flowers on the ends of branchlets, followed by spherical red berries.

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• Taxonomy

  • It was first formally described in 1861 by Charles Moore in Catalogue of the Natural and Industrial Products of NSW

  • This was exhibited in the School of Arts by the International Exhibition Commissioners and was given the name Nelitris ingens from an unpublished description by Ferdinand von Mueller 

  • In 1988, Gordon P. Guymer and Bernard Hyland changed the name to Acmena ingens in the journal Muelleria

  • This name that is accepted by the National Herbarium of NSW

  • In 2006, Lyndley Craven and Edward Sturt Biffin changed Moore's name Nelitris ingens to Syzygium ingens in the journal Blumea, the name accepted by the Australian Plant Census

• Horticulture

  • Germination is assisted by removing the seed from the flesh, and soaking for a day or two to kill any insect larvae

  • Germination is swift and reliable

  • Cuttings also strike well

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syzygium_ingens (Jan 2024)

• https://data.rbg.vic.gov.au/rbgcensus/census/taxon/1c015912-184e-44e0-b7d8-e75c79dd9e05 (Jan 2024 ... on Conservation status)