About Elingamita johnsonii Baylis
Elingamita johnsonii is a stoutly branched tree that can reach up to 8 meters tall, though it typically grows much shorter. It has smooth grey bark. Its dark green leaves are 10 to 18 cm long and 4 to 9 cm wide, with a smooth texture and a satin-like gloss. Leaf stems are short, around 1 cm in length. Tiny pale yellow to pink flowers grow in terminal panicles, blooming between February and May, and sometimes also between August and November. Male and female flowers are usually borne on separate individual trees. This species produces attractive grape-like clusters of red fruit that take one year or more to ripen. Each fruit is a globe-shaped drupe, up to 20 mm in diameter, containing a single seed. While its foliage can be confused with that of the Karaka tree (Corynocarpus laevigatus), Elingamita johnsonii has a much shorter leaf stalk (petiole), and its clusters of red fleshy fruit are very distinctive; fruit clusters can be seen on the tree at any time of year. The fruits are edible, and their white flesh has a flavor similar to a salty apple.
