Lotus australis
Trunk 10-25 m high, slender, with circular leaf-scars. Crown dense; leaves orbicular in outline, to 1.5 m diam., divided below middle into 40-50 narrow, plicate, acuminate leaflets, entire, or bifid at apex; petioles to 1.2 m long, tough, rigid, spreading to decurved; margin with strong spiny teeth. Panicle to 1.2 m long, glabrous, drooping, repeatedly branched, primary branches thick, often angular, usually curved and flexuous, ultimate branches or spikes 3-7 cm long. Spathe to 30 cm long, lanceolate, ± tomentose. Flowers c. 3 mm long. Drupe globular, 12-20 mm diam., deep purple-blue, 1-seeded, hard, pericarp rather wrinkled, granular within.
N. Kawau Id; freely naturalised.
(Australia and scattered in tropics)
First record:‡
FL. 9-10.
