QUANDONG
Elaeocarpus grandis, synonymous with Elaeocarpus angustifolius
Most of you will be familiar with the Quandong’s moss-covered buttressed roots projecting out from the forest onto the edges of walking tracks. Many of these magnificent trees may be seen in the Paluma rainforest with some especially good specimens along the Witt’s Lookout track. The Quandong, a tree emblematic of tropical rainforest is also known as Blue Quandong, Silver Quandong, Blueberry Ash and Blueberry Fig.
A pioneering tree, the Quandong can grow to five or six metres high in just a few years, eventually reaching a height of up to 35 metres. A strong identifying feature are the buttresses with vertically flat, visible roots, so large in some instances that they are capable of sheltering a cassowary. Moss usually covers the trunk and roots so it is difficult to readily see the nature of the bark, but the cut timber is hard and white and highly regarded as a cabinet timber.
Flowering occurs between October and March, the softly fragranced flowers, growing in racemes from axils or on branches are usually high in the tree and difficult to see. They can be green, white or cream with tiny petals about 5 mm long.
Fruiting can occur at any month. You can sometimes find the blue to purple fruit lying among the fallen leaves on the rainforest tracks. Their colour is often enhanced with a metallic sheen. The fruit is a drupe (fleshy with one or more seeds inside) and can be anything from the size of a small grape to that of a golf ball. The fruit is edible and has a higher Vitamin C content than oranges. It is best eaten when slightly over-ripe or it can taste bitter. It can be used in jams or pickles. Many bird species eat the fruit which is also eaten by Bush Rats, Spectacled Flying Foxes and Musky Rat Kangaroos.
The leaves of the Quandong are glossy and about 80 to 150 mm long. As it ages the leaf turns a bright red before dropping. Many can be seen at any time along the walking tracks.
The Quandong was highly valued by rainforest Aboriginal people. The fruit was recognised for its medicinal properties and as a food source. They would also make an edible paste from the ripe fruit. Shields were made from the large buttress roots.
Look for these spectacular trees next time you take a walk along one of the rainforest tracks.
Text & Photos by Colwyn Campbell