About Diospyros australis (R.Br.) F.M.Bailey
Diospyros australis (R.Br.) F.M.Bailey is an attractive small tree that rarely reaches 20 metres in height, with a maximum trunk diameter of 25 cm (10 in). It can be easily identified by its yellow-tinged foliage and black berries. The base of the tree has no flanges or buttresses. The bark covering its cylindrical trunk is grey or black, marked with wrinkles, bumps and lines. Leaves are yellow or yellow-green on the underside, with a prominent yellow mid vein; they grow in an alternating arrangement, have smooth edges, and are elliptical or oblong in shape, measuring 4 to 10 cm long. Leaf stalks are 2 to 5 mm long. Flowers appear between October and December; they are creamy green and four-petalled, with female flowers growing larger than male flowers. Fruit matures between February and July; it is a shiny black elliptical berry, 12 to 20 mm in length. A four- or occasionally five-lobed green calyx sits at the base of each berry. Each fruit holds a single seed, surrounded by an edible purple aril. The 1889 work *The Useful Native Plants of Australia* records that Indigenous people of the Illawarra area called this plant "Booreerra" and used it as a source of food. Germination from fresh seed is slow but reliable, with most seeds germinating after three months. Its edible berries are used in bushfood.
