Austrobaileya

A primitive vine, Austrobaileya is rare and endemic to the Wet Tropics (found nowhere else). It is the only species in its family and it is confined to very wet rainforests from low to upland altitudes. Austrobaileya (Austrobaileya scandens) is a canopy liane which reaches about 15 metres (50 feet). Its leaves are an odd bluey-green colour but its flowers are the giveaway that it is one of the earlier representatives of flowering plants. Its flower parts are arranged in a spiral and the petals are a pale green colour. Flies are the only pollinator and to ensure they are attracted, the flowers smell like rotting fish! Apricot coloured fruits of an oblong shape, up to 70mm by 50mm (2.8 by 2 inches) hang from the vine and contain a packed cluster of chestnut shaped seeds.

The Blue Quandong

One of the favourite foods of the gorgeous Wompoo Fruit Dove is the fruit of the Blue Quondong (Elaeocarpus augustifolius), a commonly seen attractive tree of the Wet Tropics. Its fruit is a deep blue colour and is similar in shape and size to a large olive. The seed inside is unmistakable once the thin layer of flesh is removed, being deeply pitted all over and very hard. The Blue Quandong is a tall (up to 35 metres/117 feet), thin tree of airy habit with lateral branches laden with clusters of narrow, deep green leaves. Its fruit is also relished by Cassowaries and Musky Rat-kangaroos.

The Native Guava or Copper Laurel

Many rainforest plants have a great need to ensure they are not self-pollinated and since individuals can be scattered away from each other with lots of dense foliage in between, some species have evolved complicated systems to ensure they can't be self-pollinated. The Native Guava or Copper Laurel has just such a system. Its pollinator is a beetle (which would explain why its flower smells mildly awful) but its flower blooms in two stages. On each tree, the female flower parts are exposed first in the early part of the day. Then this part of the flower closes and the male parts (stamens) are extended. This ensures that any one tree can't be self-pollinated. The Native Guava (Eupomatia laurina) is a relic, primitive species with its entire family composed of only one genus with three species.

The Pepper Tree

The Pepper Tree (Tasmannia membranea) gets its name from the taste of its seeds rather than its bland fruit. This tree is from one of the earliest flowering plant families known - Winteraceae - making it a true relic of the rainforest. The Pepper Tree is more like a large shrub than a tree, only reaching 3 metres (10 feet) in height. It shares a characteristic with the less developed cycads - that is, the Pepper Tree has separate male and female flowers on different plants.

Myristica

Ducula bicolor, the scientific name of the Torres Strait or Pied Imperial Pigeon means "eater of Myristica" or put more commonly, "eater of nutmeg". Myristica is a genus containing only three species in the Wet Tropics, one of which we know as the Queensland Nutmeg. The rust coloured, ovoid shaped fruit, 20mm (¾ inch) in size is the favourite food of the Pied Imperial Pigeon, hence its scientific name. Queensland Nutmeg (Myristica globulosa subsp. muelleri) could be used for the commercial production of the spice nutmeg but a similar species from the Solomons is used instead. (Myristica fragrans from the Moluccas yields the commerical spices nutmeg (seeds) and mace (arils).)This 15 metre (50 foot) tree is another example of a primitive flowering plant, and also has separate trees for male and female flowers.

The Fig

One of the most important flowering trees in the Wet Tropics rainforest is the fig - in fact, figs are considered to be a "keystone species". They produce fruit at different times of the year, providing a reliable food resource for many animals and birds throughout the year. One interesting fig is the Round-leaf Banana fig (Ficus crassipes). It is most common at high altitudes in closed forest, but also occurs in coastal forests. With its dense, rounded canopy, familiar rubber-tree shaped leaves and squat, colourful fruit, it is attractive and easy to identify.