Pleiogynium timorense

Burdekin Plum

Anacardiaceae

Form and Size: A medium, densely canopied tree to 20m; deciduous.

Distribution: North-eastern Qld. and south to around Gympie; in scrubs and vine thickets and along watercourses.

Leaves: Pinnate, to 18cm long; 5-11 leaflets, egg-shaped, glossy, dark green, stiff-textured, margins sometimes wavy, inner pair of leaflets smaller than the others, to 12cm x 4cm.

Bark: Dark, rough.

Flowers: Yellowish-green, small; male on drooping panicles, female on spikes about 5cm long.

Flowering Period: January to March.

Fruit: Purple, fleshy, plum-like, more or less pumpkin-shaped or flattened-globular, to 5cm diameter; a single large stony, pitted seed case containing a number of seeds.

Cultivation/Notes: Propagate from seed. A very hardy tree with dense, very dark green foliage. The fruit are edible when ripe, although sometimes acidic to the taste, and make excellent jam or jelly. The fruit usually has purple flesh, but white-fleshed varieties are found which are reportedly less acidic.