NSW Christmas bush in full colour on the top edge of Barrengarry Mountain |
A low growing branch of NSW Christmas Bush at eye height. The 6 to 9 inch thick trunk is visible behind the "flowers". So, by my reckoning these would be classed as small trees. |
Their fruiting bodies (the calyx and the nut which forms once the flowers have finished) are bright red. Their calyxes are considerable redder than the closely related Coachwood trees, growing at a lower level in the wet forest. The area where these Christmas Bushes are growing has large sandstone rocky outcrops. But the edge of the sandstone escarpment is blunted here. It is not a cliff line (that is below). So the simplest way to describe where they are growing is to refer to it as a shelf, just above the Kangaroo Valley (Barrengarry) escarpment.
Sepals and the nut of NSW Christmas Bush showing its true, bright colour. This shows small whispy "petals" surrounding the "nut" - a feature missing in the related plant - the Coachwood. |
The under-side of the NSW Christmas Bush leaf. It shows distinct, fine venations with a central rib clearly prominent on each leaflet. The leaf edges are finely toothed. |
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