Some authorities place this genus in the family Annonaceae.

Common Name: Bolwarra

General Information

Eupomatia laurina is an evergreen shrub with arching branches, or small tree growing up to 6 metres tall.
The edible fruit is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use. A fibre from the bark was traditionally used to make twine, but is probably little used nowadays.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Eastern Australia - Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland; north to New Guinea.

Habitat

Widespread in or near warmer rainforest and moist eucalypt forest on the coast and lower ranges of New South Wales[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	6.00 m
Pollinators	Weevils
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the warm temperate to tropical zones, where it can be found at elevations up to 1,100 metres[].
Prefers a shady position[].
The flowers have a heavy, somewhat fruity and very distinctive strong perfume - pleasant to some but oppressive to others[]. They only open for one day and are pollinated by tiny weevils[].
The plant responds well to pruning and so can be trained into a more compact shape[].
Cold weather turns the leaves dark red or copper-coloured, but they turn green again with warmer weather[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. A soft, clear pulp with a sweet, aromatic, pleasant taste[, , ]. The flavour is somewhat reminiscent of a kiwi fruit (Actinidia spp.) or guava (Psidium quajava) with overtones of nutmeg[]. The globose to urn-shaped berries are green, turning brownish when fully ripe. They are 15 - 20mm in diameter and contain many small seeds[, ].
The juice of the fruit can be added to ice cream or yoghourt[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A fibre is obtained from the bark[]. Traditionally, the fibres of the soaked bark were rubbed against the thighs, twisting two strands together. Fishing lines were made from the bark strengthened by soaking it in a solution of Geebung (Persoonia laurina) bark in water. The soaked bark was pounded between rocks, two strands of the fibre were rolled tightly together, and the line soaked in the sap of Red Bloodwood (Eucalyptus gummifera) to prevent fraying[].

The yellowish-brown wood is soft, coarse-grained[, ]. It dresses well, is not particularly handsome, and requires the most careful seasoning[]. Occasional straight, erect branches are traditionally used as spear shafts[].

Propagation

Seed - sown fresh, it germinates within a few months[].

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