Endiandra hayesii is an Australian rainforest tree. Despite the common name of rusty rose walnut, this tree is unrelated to northern hemisphere walnuts, and is a laurel. The former habitat is lowland sub tropical rainforest, most of which has been cleared. However some trees persist in cool sheltered gullies as far south as the Richmond River, New South Wales to just over the border at Burleigh Heads in Queensland.[1] The rusty rose walnut is considered rare, with a ROTAP rating of 3RC-. It is named after H.C. Hayes, who collected this species at Minyon Falls.

Endiandra hayesii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Endiandra
Species:
E. hayesii
Binomial name
Endiandra hayesii

Description

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Usually a small crooked tree, however at Minyon Falls is a 35 metre tall tree with a trunk diameter of 60 cm. The trunk is usually straight on smaller trees, but buttressed in larger trees. The bark is fairly smooth with some scales, grey or grey brown in colour. Small branches with rusty brown hairs. With furry yellow leaf buds.

Leaves 6 to 12 cm long, and 3 to 6 cm wide.[2] Hairy and dull particularly on the underside, with reddish brown leaf hairs. Leaf stem hairy, 5 to 10 mm long. Leaves veiny on the underside.

Flowers & fruit

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Greenish white flowers form on panicles from October to November. Panicles form from leaf axils or at the end of branchlets. Petals up to 2 mm long. The fruit is a purplish black drupe, maturing from March to August. Tear drop shaped up to 3 cm long. The cream seed should be planted after the removal of the thin layer of green flesh.

 
Minyon Falls, in north eastern New South Wales, is the type locality of the Rusty Rose Walnut

References

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  1. ^ Floyd, A. G. (2008). Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia (2nd, Revised ed.). Lismore, New South Wales: Terania Rainforest Publishing. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-958943-67-3. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
  2. ^ "Endiandra hayesii". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Retrieved 2010-05-25.