Cerbera floribunda, commonly known as cassowary plum, grey milkwood, or rubber tree, is a plant in the family Apocynaceae which is native to the region from Sulawesi to the Solomon Islands, including north east Queensland.
Cerbera floribunda is a tree that grows up to 30 m (98 ft) in height. The bark is brown to grey/black, and the sap wood and heart wood are both white. Leaves are lanceolate-elliptic, glossy green above and paler beneath, alternate or whorled and crowded towards the ends of the twigs. They measure up to 30 cm (12 in) long by 5 cm (2.0 in) wide, with 13 to 20 curved lateral veins and are attached by a long petiole up to 40 mm (1.6 in) long.[3][4]
The inflorescence is a much branched cyme up to 17 cm (6.7 in) with usually more than 50 flowers. The flowers have 5 white sepals, a corolla tube up to 12 mm (0.47 in) by 3 mm (0.12 in) wide with 5 free lobes at the end. They are white with a pink or red centre, are about 25 to 30 mm (0.98 to 1.18 in) in diameter, and have a sweet scent.[3][4]
Fruits are a bright blue/purple drupe measuring about 10 cm (3.9 in) long by 5 cm (2.0 in) wide, slightly pointed and the end away from the pedicel (stem), with a single large seed.[3][4]
Taxonomyedit
Cerbera floribunda was first described by Karl Moritz Schumann in Die Flora von Kaiser Wilhelms Land (K.M.Schumann & U.M.Hollrung, Fl. Kais. Wilh. Land: 111 (1889)) in 1889.[2]
Distribution and habitatedit
This is a tropical plant and favours abundant water. The native range is from Sulawesi, east through the Maluku Islands and New Guinea to Solomon Islands, and south to Queensland; it is widespread throughout the range and not considered to be endangered. It is generally found along creeks and marshes and always near permanent water.[2][4][5] Altitudinal range in Australia is from sea level to 500 m (1,600 ft).[3]
Ecologyedit
Fruits are swallowed whole by cassowaries, who are not affected by the toxins contained within. They then excrete the seeds later, helping to distribute them. The cassowary is the only animal able to provide this function, due to the size of the fruits, and this forms a classic example of a symbiotic relationship between the two species.
Rodents, in particular the White-tailed rat, eat the kernels after stripping away the flesh but in this case (if they leave some of the kernel behind) it is unlikely to germinate.[6]
Toxicityedit
As with other species of Cerbera, and indeed many other species in the family Apocynaceae, fruits of this plant are toxic to humans. Cerbera species contain the cardiac glycosidecerberin, and if eaten will result in nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and potentially death.[5] The white sap, which is produced from all parts of the tree, may also cause skin irritation on contact.[7]
Usesedit
The timber has been used for mouldings and interior finishings in Bouganville and other parts of Papua New Guinea, and for carvings and medicine in the Solomon Islands.[4]
^Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).; IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group (2019). "Cerbera floribunda". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T147004222A147004224. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T147004222A147004224.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
^ abcd"Cerbera floribunda K.Schum". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
^ abcdeForster, Paul I. (7 September 1992). "A Taxonomic Revision of Cerbera L. (Apocynaceae) in Australia and Papuasia". Austrobaileya. 3 (4). Austrobaileya, vol. 3, no. 4, 1992, pp. 569 – 579: 569–579. doi:10.5962/p.365989. JSTOR 41738802. S2CID 260401807. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
^ abQuigley, Declan; Fenwick, David (2019). "Cerbera sp. (Apocynaceae) drift mesocarps: first record from British waters and a summary of previous records from north-western Europe". Cahiers de Biologie Marine. 60: 419–423. doi:10.21411/CBM.A.A9AA3201. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
^Jones, Elizabeth; Curran, Lisa; Wright, Debra; Mack, Andrew (May 2008). "Differential effects of mammalian seed predators on the regeneration of five Papua New Guinean tree species and implications for sapling recruitment". Journal of Tropical Ecology. 24 (3): 259–267. doi:10.1017/S026646740800494X. S2CID 54710841. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
cerbera, floribunda, commonly, known, cassowary, plum, grey, milkwood, rubber, tree, plant, family, apocynaceae, which, native, region, from, sulawesi, solomon, islands, including, north, east, queensland, cassowary, plum, street, tree, cairns, queensland, con. Cerbera floribunda commonly known as cassowary plum grey milkwood or rubber tree is a plant in the family Apocynaceae which is native to the region from Sulawesi to the Solomon Islands including north east Queensland Cassowary plum Street tree in Cairns Queensland Conservation status Least Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Clade Tracheophytes Clade Angiosperms Clade Eudicots Clade Asterids Order Gentianales Family Apocynaceae Genus Cerbera Species C floribunda Binomial name Cerbera floribundaK Schum 2 Synonyms 2 Cerbera micrantha Kaneh Contents 1 Description 2 Taxonomy 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Ecology 5 Toxicity 6 Uses 7 Gallery 8 External links 9 References 10 External linksDescription editCerbera floribunda is a tree that grows up to 30 m 98 ft in height The bark is brown to grey black and the sap wood and heart wood are both white Leaves are lanceolate elliptic glossy green above and paler beneath alternate or whorled and crowded towards the ends of the twigs They measure up to 30 cm 12 in long by 5 cm 2 0 in wide with 13 to 20 curved lateral veins and are attached by a long petiole up to 40 mm 1 6 in long 3 4 The inflorescence is a much branched cyme up to 17 cm 6 7 in with usually more than 50 flowers The flowers have 5 white sepals a corolla tube up to 12 mm 0 47 in by 3 mm 0 12 in wide with 5 free lobes at the end They are white with a pink or red centre are about 25 to 30 mm 0 98 to 1 18 in in diameter and have a sweet scent 3 4 Fruits are a bright blue purple drupe measuring about 10 cm 3 9 in long by 5 cm 2 0 in wide slightly pointed and the end away from the pedicel stem with a single large seed 3 4 Taxonomy editCerbera floribunda was first described by Karl Moritz Schumann in Die Flora von Kaiser Wilhelms Land K M Schumann amp U M Hollrung Fl Kais Wilh Land 111 1889 in 1889 2 Distribution and habitat editThis is a tropical plant and favours abundant water The native range is from Sulawesi east through the Maluku Islands and New Guinea to Solomon Islands and south to Queensland it is widespread throughout the range and not considered to be endangered It is generally found along creeks and marshes and always near permanent water 2 4 5 Altitudinal range in Australia is from sea level to 500 m 1 600 ft 3 Ecology editFruits are swallowed whole by cassowaries who are not affected by the toxins contained within They then excrete the seeds later helping to distribute them The cassowary is the only animal able to provide this function due to the size of the fruits and this forms a classic example of a symbiotic relationship between the two species Rodents in particular the White tailed rat eat the kernels after stripping away the flesh but in this case if they leave some of the kernel behind it is unlikely to germinate 6 Toxicity editAs with other species of Cerbera and indeed many other species in the family Apocynaceae fruits of this plant are toxic to humans Cerbera species contain the cardiac glycoside cerberin and if eaten will result in nausea vomiting abdominal pain and potentially death 5 The white sap which is produced from all parts of the tree may also cause skin irritation on contact 7 Uses editThe timber has been used for mouldings and interior finishings in Bouganville and other parts of Papua New Guinea and for carvings and medicine in the Solomon Islands 4 Gallery edit nbsp Inflorescence nbsp Fruit nbsp Foliage and flowersExternal links editSee a map of recorded sightings of Cerbera floribunda at the Australasian Virtual HerbariumReferences edit Botanic Gardens Conservation International BGCI IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group 2019 Cerbera floribunda IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019 e T147004222A147004224 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2019 2 RLTS T147004222A147004224 en Retrieved 20 November 2021 a b c d Cerbera floribunda K Schum Plants of the World Online Retrieved 16 February 2021 a b c d F A Zich B P M Hyland T Whiffen R A Kerrigan Cerbera inflata Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation CSIRO Retrieved 14 February 2021 a b c d e Forster Paul I 7 September 1992 A Taxonomic Revision of Cerbera L Apocynaceae in Australia and Papuasia Austrobaileya 3 4 Austrobaileya vol 3 no 4 1992 pp 569 579 569 579 doi 10 5962 p 365989 JSTOR 41738802 S2CID 260401807 Retrieved 14 February 2021 a b Quigley Declan Fenwick David 2019 Cerbera sp Apocynaceae drift mesocarps first record from British waters and a summary of previous records from north western Europe Cahiers de Biologie Marine 60 419 423 doi 10 21411 CBM A A9AA3201 Retrieved 19 February 2021 Jones Elizabeth Curran Lisa Wright Debra Mack Andrew May 2008 Differential effects of mammalian seed predators on the regeneration of five Papua New Guinean tree species and implications for sapling recruitment Journal of Tropical Ecology 24 3 259 267 doi 10 1017 S026646740800494X S2CID 54710841 Retrieved 19 February 2021 Cerbera floribunda K Schum Flora amp Fauna Web Singapore Government Retrieved 19 February 2021 External links edit nbsp Data related to Cerbera floribunda at Wikispecies nbsp Media related to Cerbera floribunda at Wikimedia Commons View a map of historical sightings of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium View observations of this species on iNaturalist View images of this species on Flickriver Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cerbera floribunda amp oldid 1189328129, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
