The Fuzzy Lemon Aspen (Acronychia vestita) is endemic to northeast Queensland occurring in upland wet sclerophyll forests and rainforest margins or disturbed areas from Kuranda to Paluma. It is generally a shrub to small tree but can grow up to 20m. The ovoid deep green leaves are simple with obvious lateral veins running at an angle from the mid-vein and then looping up before reaching the leaf margin.
Flowering occurs from February-March and the fruit develop as globular fruit with a lumpy wrinked surface that turns from green to white or yellow when ripe.
This is not a particularly common tree around Paluma but there is a good example on the edge of Potters Park off Lennox Crescent that is currently bearing numerous developing fruit that should turn yellow in the next month or so.
The fruit are eaten by Cassowaries, Wompoo Fruit Doves and the Musky Rat-kangaroo. The leaves are one of several species eaten by the larvae of the Ulysses Butterfly.
Several other species of Acronychia including the Lemon Aspen (Acronychia acidula) are edible and used as a garnish or flavouring in drinks and chutney. A. vestita is noted as being edible in the original Rainforest Fruits book by Cooper & Cooper (1994) but I could not find any other references to edibility.
Text and photos (unless indicated) by Jamie Oliver