Podocarpus elatus, known as the plum pine, the brown pine, the Illawarra plum or the Queensland Christmas tree, is a species of Podocarpusendemic to the east coast of Australia, in eastern New South Wales and eastern Queensland.
It is a medium to large evergreentree growing to 30–36 m tall with a trunk up to 1.5 m diameter. The leaves are lanceolate, 5–15 cm long (to 25 cm long on vigorous young trees) and 6–18 mm broad. The seed cones are dark blue-purple, berry-like, with a fleshy base 2-2.5 cm diameter bearing a single oval or globose seed 1 cm in diameter.
Uses
The fleshy part of the seed cone is edible, used in condiments. The timber was prized for furniture, joinery, boat planking, lining and piles in salt water. Podocarpus elatus is an attractive ornamental tree. In older Australian suburbs, the plum pine is used as an ornamental street tree, such as at Baldry Street, Chatswood.[2]
The fruit has been used as a suitable alternative to sloe berries in the production of sloe-style gins in Australia.[3]
Gallery
juvenile foliage
Podocarpus elatus trunk
Podocarpus elatus foliage & naked seeds on fleshy receptacles
Podocarpus elatus growing in littoral rainforest on sand
Podocarpus elatus bark & foliage
Podocarpus elatus bark
Podocarpus elatus unusually joined seed stems (receptacles)
