Common name: Native Daphne, Sweet Pittosporum, Snowdrop Tree (L.H.I.), Mock Orange
Pittosporum undulatum Vent. APNI*
Description: Tall shrub or tree to 15 m high, glabrous on vegetative parts except for a few hairs on young growth.
Leaves alternate or clustered at end of branches, ovate or elliptic to narrowly obovate, usually 6–15 cm long, 15–40 mm wide; margin usually undulate or occasionally flat, lacking teeth; apex acute to acuminate; mature leaves glabrous; petiole 12–15 mm long.
Flowers in terminal clusters, fragrant. Sepals 6–10 mm long, ± hairy outside. Petals 10–12 mm long, white to cream-coloured. Ovary hairy.
Capsule globose to ± obovate, 10–14 mm long, c. 10 mm diam, smooth, sparsely hairy or glabrescent, light orange to yellow-brown; seeds numerous, red-brown.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest and sheltered situations in dry sclerophyll forest or woodland; widespread on the coast and ranges, west to lower valleys of the Nandewar Ra. and Rylstone.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, *LHI
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. S.A.
Can be an aggressive post-fire coloniser of the understorey layer in sclerophyll forest. In the Sydney district it can be a troublesome invader in disturbed sclerophyll forest. Possibly hybridizes with P. bicolor in the Bega district; see note under that species.
Text by B.J. Conn
Taxon concept: L.W. Cayzer, M.D. Crisp & I.R.H. Telford (2000)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.