Antirhea tenuiflora

F. Muell. ex Benth.

Crimson berry

RubiaceaeFruit
Antirhea tenuiflora
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Graham Bell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Antirhea tenuiflora
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Russell Cumming, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Antirhea tenuiflora
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Russell Cumming, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

The fruit is edible.

Where to Find It

A tropical and subtropical plant. It needs a well drained moist soils and a shady position.

Australia*, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG,

Countries: Australia, Fiji, Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Samoa

How to Identify

A bushy shrub. It grows to 6 m tall. The young shoots have silky hairs. The leaves are simple, oval and 4-17 cm long by 8 cm wide. They are thin in texture and hairy underneath. The flowers are white and have a scent. They are 0.6 cm across and the base is like a slender tube. The are produced in clusters at the ends of branches. The fruit is 4 angled and red or purple. It is about 1 cm long. The fruit are edible. There is one seed which is 5-12 mm long and lobed.

How to Grow

Plants are grown from fresh seed.

Production

Plants flower in September to October and fruit are ripe in January to March (August to April).

Notes

There are 40 Guettardella species. They are mostly in the tropics.

Names & Synonyms
Antirhea tenuiflora F. Muell.Guettarda tenuiflora (F. Muell. ex Benth.) F. Muell.Guettardella tenuiflora (F. Muell ex Benth.) M. E. JansenMatthiola tenuiflora (F. Muell. ex Benth.) Kuntze
References (5)
  • Cooper W & Cooper W T, 1994, Fruits of the Rain Forest. RD Press p 154 (As Guettardella tenuiflora)
  • Fl. Austral. 3: 418 1867.
  • Jones D, L, 1986, Ornamental Rainforest Plants in Australia, Reed Books, p 89, 340 (As Guettardella tenuiflora)
  • The Plant List
  • Townsend, K., 1994, Across the Top. Gardening with Australian Plants in the tropics. Society for Growing Australian Plants, Townsville Branch Inc. p 243 (As Guettardella tenuiflora)

More from Rubiaceae