Family: Malvaceae
Sterculia – named after Sterculius, the Roman God of odour
quadrifida – from Latin meaning split into 4 parts, referring to the fruit
Common names: Peanut tree, red-fruited kurrajong, balkpalk (Yolngu)
Overview
S. quadrifida is a medium-size tree that inhabits rain forests and vine thickets, from the mid-north coast of NSW to Cape York and into SE Asia. The tree produces spectacular red follicles that split open to reveal shiny black seeds. The seeds have a taste somewhat like peanuts, hence the name ‘peanut tree’.
Apart from producing edible seeds, the trees have medicinal value. The leaves and bark are used in both traditional Australian Aboriginal and Indonesian medicine for a range of disorders including marine stings and hepatitis; it is currently being investigated for breast cancer treatment. S. quadrifida is a very good shade tree and suitable for planting on farms and in urban settings provided there is no exposure to severe frost.
Description
A soft-wooded tree of medium height (to 15m) and spreading habit, forming a dense crown.
A soft-wooded tree of medium height (to 15m) and spreading habit, forming a dense crown., and up to 15cm in length. Leaves have a distinctive venation pattern. As with members of the related kurrajong (Brachychiton) genus, the trees may lose some or most of its leaves in the spring, pre-flowering.
Greenish, lemon-scented flowers grow in racemes, followed by the spectacular fruit, in the form of bright red, hard follicles containing up to 8 smooth black seeds. This distinguishes them from true kurrajongs which have hairy bristles surrounding the seeds.
Indigenous Plants for Health, Inc. 