About Pittosporum undulatum Vent.
Pittosporum undulatum Vent. grows as a shrub or small tree, reaching up to 15 meters (49 feet) in height. It is an evergreen species with lance-shaped (lanceolate) leaves that have wavy, undulating margins. After flowering in spring or early summer, it produces noticeable orange woody fruits around 1 centimeter in diameter that persist for several months. Originally, this species naturally occurred in moist areas along Australia's east coast, with its native range extending from southeast Queensland to eastern Victoria. Its range has expanded since European settlement of Australia. The flowers of Pittosporum undulatum release a fragrant scent at night, so moths and butterflies are likely its main pollinators. Its fruits are eaten by currawongs, red-whiskered bulbuls, Indian mynahs, and grey-headed flying foxes, and its seeds are dispersed through bird droppings. A variety of herbivorous insects attack this species. Larvae of the pittosporum longicorn (Strongylurus thoracicus) bore into the sapwood; the pittosporum beetle (Lamprolina aeneipennis) feeds on its leaves. Two fly species form galls on the plant: Phytoliriomyza pittosporophylli creates leaf galls, while P. pittosporocaulis forms twig galls. The pittosporum psyllid (Trioza vitreoradiata) forms small bumps on leaves, gall thrips (Teuchothrips spp.) often infest leaves, and the pittosporum bug (Pseudapines geminata) plus multiple scale insect species feed on the plant's sap.
