Myoporum tetrandrum
| Myoporum tetrandrum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 16' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Myoporum tetrandrum (common name: boobialla)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Pot up in the autumn. Good percentage[1].
Cultivation: Easily grown in most soils[2]. Succeeds in dry soils[3]. Resists maritime exposure[4].
This species is not very hardy in mainland Britain, it succeeds outdoors on the Scilly Isles but usually requires greenhouse protection elsewhere.
A polymorphic species[5].
Planted for shelter in Portugal, especially by the coast, and it is locally naturalized there[6].
There is some confusion over this name. Most of the entries on this record were listed under M. serratum, which is listed here as a synonym of this species. However, [4] says that M. serratum is a synonym of M. insulare, which has been treated here as a separate and distinct species.
Range: Australia - New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria.
Habitat: By the coast in basalt, silurian and red sand areas[4].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[7][8]. The fruit is about 4 - 6mm in diameter[3]. Caution is advised, see the notes above on possible toxicity.
Usage: Plants can be used right on the coast as a protective screen from maritime winds, the roots also help to check coastal erosion[4].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no records of toxicity have been found for this species, the fruits of at least some members of this genus are known to contain liver toxins and can be harmful in large quantities[9].
Also Known As: M. serratum. R.Br.
Links
References
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ Holliday, Ivan and Ron Hill. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller, 1974.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Ewart, Alfred. Recording Census of the Victorian Flora. 1923.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Crowe, Andrew. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton, 1990.