The name Pittosporum spinescens was proposed in 'Revision of Pittosporum (Pittosporaceae) in Australia', L.W.Cayzer, Crisp & I.Telford, Australian Systematic Botany 13: 865, 2000. It has not been universally accepted, but has been adopted by all the major floras in Australia. The name Citriobatus spinescens (treated here as a synonym) is still being used by botanists in many areas outside Australia[].
The synonym Citriobatus pauciflorus has also been misapplied to Pittosporum multiflorum (syn Citriobatus multiflorus) in the literature. P. Multiflorus has smaller fruits, usually less than 10mm in diameter[].

Common Name: Wallaby Apple

General Information

Pittosporum spinescens is an evergreen shrub, usually growing about 1 metre tall, occasionally to 1.8 metres when in the open, but often becoming a small, lanky tree up to 8 metres tall when growing in woodland[, , ]. The bole can be 10 - 15cm in diameter[]. The branches are armed with thorns up to 10mm long[, ].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use of its edible fruit.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

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

Habitat

Dry sclerophyll forest, dry rainforest and closed scrub[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the subtropical to tropical zones. Its exact hardiness is unknown, but it appears to be capable of withstanding occasional temperatures down to at least -6°c[].
Succeeds in full sun and in partial shade[].
Fruits are borne in huge abundance and dominate the visual landscape of the bush during the ripening season. A single 1 metre tall plant may produce thousands of fruits in a single season[].
The plant produces offshoots from the roots, but does not seem to spread much, if at all[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[, , ]. A crunchy texture with a mild, slightly sweet flavour[]. The orange, globose fruit can be 15 - 50mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plants dense growth habit and thorns make it suitable for growing as a barrier hedge[].

Other Uses

The wood is a light uniform yellowish colour; it is close-grained, hard and takes a good polish[].

Propagation

Seed - it germinates well if sown fresh[].
Division of offshoots[].

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: How many suns are in our solar system