Pittosporum kororoense Benwell APNI* Synonyms: Pittosporum sp. Coffs Harbour (A.S.Benwell 342, NSW1102028) APNI*
Description: Shrub to c. 1.2 m tall, single stemmed, often forming dense clonal thickets arising from shallow horizontal roots. Stems with grey-brown bark, often with prominent leaf scars.
Leaves alternate and often congested into pseudo‑whorls of 4–5, oblanceolate to elliptical, 7 –11 cm long, 1.5 – 3 cm wide; margins slightly recurved; adaxial surface smooth, secondary veins slightly impressed, mid-vein in slightly raised groove; abaxial surface much paler. Indumentum of white T-hairs only, very sparse on leaves, denser on pedicels, otherwise plant glabrous.
Flowers 1 – 3 per inflorescence, terminal on short shoots, each flower subtended by a leaf; pedicels to 3 mm long, pilose. Sepals linear, to 5 mm long, appressed, sparsely hairy. Petals 10 – 11 mm long, 3 mm wide, creamy yellow. Flowers functionally male with vestigial pistil, stamens 6–8 mm long, filaments adnate; anthers slender, c. 2 mm long, recurved at apex. Pistil vestigial.
Fruit subglobose, 8 – 12 mm long, yellow, glabrous, dehiscent by 2 glossy yellow valves; seeds 2 – 6, red, sticky, resinous. Fruit rare.
Flowering: Flowers late August to the end of September, fruit ripens March–April.
Distribution and occurrence: Restricted to the Coffs Harbour region. Recorded in Lophostemon confertus (Brush Box) tall wet sclerophyll forest with a well-developed rainforest understorey.
NSW subdivisions: NC
Threatened species: NSW BCA: Critically Endangered
Pittosporum kororoense differs from other eastern Australian species by its short, monopodial (although clonal) growth habit and terminal inflorescences of 1–3 creamy yellow flowers on reduced short shoots, each subtended by a leaf. It belongs to the short-shoot group of Pittosporum, with indeterminate inflorescences. It is similar to P. oreillyanum in fruit morphology but differs in flower colour, absence of spines, and larger leaves. It is also distinguished from P. lancifolium by its larger leaves, shorter stature, lack of spines, and dehiscent fruit.
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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