This small tree grows along roadsides close to the bank of the Colo
river west of Sydney. This is a warm temperate zone, with good
rainfall.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/mm49y5789h.jpg

It has fruits containing nuts.

The internal structure of the fruit looks something like a mangosteen,
but the thin pulp has an astringent flavour.

Inside the the thin shell is a pure white nut. It tastes pleasantly
mealy, but not delicious. I spat it out in case it is poisonous.

I don't think it is a native Australian species. There are a lot of
garden escapes in this area.

What species is it?

"Richard Wright" wrote inmessage
...
This small tree grows along roadsides close to the bank of the Colo
river west of Sydney. This is a warm temperate zone, with good
rainfall.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/mm49y5789h.jpg

Nice photos.

It has fruits containing nuts.

Or, possibly just large seeds in a fibrous fleshy fruit. Technically,
a "nut" is a type of large dry fruit with a hard fruit wall protecting
the seed.

The internal structure of the fruit looks something like a mangosteen,
but the thin pulp has an astringent flavour.

As no doubt you know, you really shouldn't be tasting unknown
plants. Some can hurt you.

Inside the the thin shell is a pure white nut. It tastes pleasantly
mealy, but not delicious. I spat it out in case it is poisonous.

Again, that's risky. I was thinking that the tree vaguely resembles
_Aleurites_ spp. [Euphorbiaceae], which reportedly can have seeds
poisonous enough that even one could kill a person.[I don't actually
think it's an Aleurites, however.]

http://images.google.com/images?q=aleurites&gbv=1

I don't think it is a native Australian species. There are a lot of
garden escapes in this area.

What species is it?

Sorry, but I'm not at all sure what it might be. Your photos are
clear, and if someone is familiar with the plant he should have
no problem identifying it for you.

Malvaceae, s.l. perhaps? Palmately veined, alternate leaves,
apparently a terminal flower/fruit, ovary superior and slightly
stipitate-based...

http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/mil...list/milo.html
for example [clearly not the same plant but a bit reminiscent]

cheers

On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 12:12:13 -0400, "mel turner"
wrote:

"Richard Wright" wrote inmessage
.. .
This small tree grows along roadsides close to the bank of the Colo
river west of Sydney. This is a warm temperate zone, with good
rainfall.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/mm49y5789h.jpg

Nice photos.

It has fruits containing nuts.

Or, possibly just large seeds in a fibrous fleshy fruit. Technically,
a "nut" is a type of large dry fruit with a hard fruit wall protecting
the seed.

The internal structure of the fruit looks something like a mangosteen,
but the thin pulp has an astringent flavour.

As no doubt you know, you really shouldn't be tasting unknown
plants. Some can hurt you.

Inside the the thin shell is a pure white nut. It tastes pleasantly
mealy, but not delicious. I spat it out in case it is poisonous.

Again, that's risky. I was thinking that the tree vaguely resembles
_Aleurites_ spp. [Euphorbiaceae], which reportedly can have seeds
poisonous enough that even one could kill a person.[I don't actually
think it's an Aleurites, however.]

http://images.google.com/images?q=aleurites&gbv=1

I don't think it is a native Australian species. There are a lot of
garden escapes in this area.

What species is it?

Sorry, but I'm not at all sure what it might be. Your photos are
clear, and if someone is familiar with the plant he should have
no problem identifying it for you.

Malvaceae, s.l. perhaps? Palmately veined, alternate leaves,
apparently a terminal flower/fruit, ovary superior and slightly
stipitate-based...

http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/mil...list/milo.html
for example [clearly not the same plant but a bit reminiscent]

cheers

Mel

Thanks for that lead. In fact Thespesia populnea it is.

http://www.nybg.org/bsci/belize/Thespesia_populnea.jpg

and many other images,

Nuts they are, in the sense that I had to use a nutcracker to crack
the shell, thin though it is.

Cornucopia II cites several sources, at least one of which must claim
that the nuts were candied.

Tasting the unknown? I have survived for decades by a touch on the
tongue. If tongue still there, nibble on a minute quantity. Spit. Wash
out mouth with water. Spit again.

Cheers

Richard

In message , Richard Wright
writes
This small tree grows along roadsides close to the bank of the Colo
river west of Sydney. This is a warm temperate zone, with good
rainfall.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/mm49y5789h.jpg

It has fruits containing nuts.

The internal structure of the fruit looks something like a mangosteen,
but the thin pulp has an astringent flavour.

Inside the the thin shell is a pure white nut. It tastes pleasantly
mealy, but not delicious. I spat it out in case it is poisonous.

I don't think it is a native Australian species. There are a lot of
garden escapes in this area.

Since you've now identified it as Thespesia populnea, it's not listed as
native to New South Wales. However it might be native to Queensland. (T.
populnea occurs in coastal locations over much of the tropics, but
there's also confusion with T. populneoides.)

(The reference I had for T. populnea being present in Queensland - the
Millenium Seed Bank target list - seems to have disappeared from the
face of the web.)

What species is it?

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley
http://www.malvaceae.info/Biology/Bi.../Australia.php

On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:34:08 +0100, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:

In message , Richard Wright
writes
This small tree grows along roadsides close to the bank of the Colo
river west of Sydney. This is a warm temperate zone, with good
rainfall.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/mm49y5789h.jpg

It has fruits containing nuts.

The internal structure of the fruit looks something like a mangosteen,
but the thin pulp has an astringent flavour.

Inside the the thin shell is a pure white nut. It tastes pleasantly
mealy, but not delicious. I spat it out in case it is poisonous.

I don't think it is a native Australian species. There are a lot of
garden escapes in this area.

Since you've now identified it as Thespesia populnea, it's not listed as
native to New South Wales. However it might be native to Queensland. (T.
populnea occurs in coastal locations over much of the tropics, but
there's also confusion with T. populneoides.)

(The reference I had for T. populnea being present in Queensland - the
Millenium Seed Bank target list - seems to have disappeared from the
face of the web.)

What species is it?

Thanks for the extra information. Do you know anything about the
edibility of the nuts of Thespesia populnea?

On Wed, 02 May 2007 06:37:25 +1000, Richard Wright
wrote:

On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:34:08 +0100, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:

In message , Richard Wright
writes
This small tree grows along roadsides close to the bank of the Colo
river west of Sydney. This is a warm temperate zone, with good
rainfall.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/mm49y5789h.jpg

It has fruits containing nuts.

The internal structure of the fruit looks something like a mangosteen,
but the thin pulp has an astringent flavour.

Inside the the thin shell is a pure white nut. It tastes pleasantly
mealy, but not delicious. I spat it out in case it is poisonous.

I don't think it is a native Australian species. There are a lot of
garden escapes in this area.

Since you've now identified it as Thespesia populnea, it's not listed as
native to New South Wales. However it might be native to Queensland. (T.
populnea occurs in coastal locations over much of the tropics, but
there's also confusion with T. populneoides.)

(The reference I had for T. populnea being present in Queensland - the
Millenium Seed Bank target list - seems to have disappeared from the
face of the web.)

What species is it?

Thanks for the extra information. Do you know anything about the
edibility of the nuts of Thespesia populnea?


This site: http://www.hibiscus.org/species/tpopulnea.php

says:
The leaf and flower buds are said to be edible raw or cooked. The
seeds are applied to scabies and other skin diseases, and are rubbed
on swollen joints. The yellowish juice extracted from young fruits is
used to treat insect bites, gonorrhoea, ringworm, and migraine
headache , and is also used for fistula, psoriasis, scabies, sprains,
and wart removal:
http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/dictionary/tico/t.html


This site: http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/plants/portia.htm

says:


Uses as food: The fruits, flowers and young leaves are edible.

On Tue, 01 May 2007 20:56:51 GMT, Charles
wrote:


Thanks for the extra information. Do you know anything about the
edibility of the nuts of Thespesia populnea?


This site: http://www.hibiscus.org/species/tpopulnea.php

says:
The leaf and flower buds are said to be edible raw or cooked. The
seeds are applied to scabies and other skin diseases, and are rubbed
on swollen joints. The yellowish juice extracted from young fruits is
used to treat insect bites, gonorrhoea, ringworm, and migraine
headache , and is also used for fistula, psoriasis, scabies, sprains,
and wart removal:
http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/dictionary/tico/t.html


This site: http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/plants/portia.htm

says:


Uses as food: The fruits, flowers and young leaves are edible.

Exactly. But what I wonder about is why all the sites I am able to
Google are coy about the nuts.