Scientific Name: Myrsine variabilis (was Rapanea variabilis)
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Pronunciation:rah-PAIN-ee-ah vair-ee-ARB-ah-lis (MER-seen)
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Common Name:Muttonwood
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Type:
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Family:MYRSINACEAE
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Flowers:Creamy white bell-shaped, spring
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Fruit:Masses of purple fruit.
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Vegetation Type:Rainforest and depauperate rainforest.
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Species List:Hedges, FI Podberscek, Noosa High School, NNP service road, Cooroibah 26.4.09, Tewantin Forest Gyndier, Fraser Island, Johns, Cooroibah Conservation Park, NNS, Upper Yandina Creek, NNP Palm Grove, Dandaloo, BHNR, Heritage Park, Noosa Banks,
Cultural Notes
No records on edibility.
Identification Notes
Young shoots purple. Corolla lobes SHORTER than corolla tube. Leaves alternate, irregularly toothed.||"Description: Shrub or small tree with terminal buds covered with fawn to brown hairs. Leaves mostly obovate to oblanceolate, 3–10 cm long, usually 1–3 cm wide, margins entire or with prominent stiff, almost prickly teeth, especially in juveniles, upper surface shiny green, lower surface duller, lateral veins ± equally distinct on both surfaces in dried and fresh material; petiole 3–7 mm long. Flowers 4- or 5-merous. Fruit 4–6 mm diam., blue; pedicel slender, ± glabrous; ripe Sep.-Jan. Rainforest and open forest on the coast and adjacent ranges north from Milton, often in exposed positions on the coast. " (from PlantNet)
Associated Fauna
Bird attracting. Butterfly larval food plant: White-banded Line-blue (White Line-blue).||
Landscaping Notes
Landscaping potential in suitable areas. Bushy tree for average soil in protected site. The muttonwood is a bird attracting shrub or small tree, it can grow to 15m in it natural state but is more commonly seen as a 2-3 m shrub in cultivation. It makes a fantastic screen with its bird attractind small blue fruits.||Successfully propagated by Tin Can Bay City Farm Nursery.||Successfully propagated by Barung Landcare||