Cairns Pencil Cedar, Red Silkwood, Daintree Maple
Palaquium galactoxylum

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A tree up to 30 m high. It spreads 10-20 m wide. It loses its leaves during the year. The bark is cracked and brown. Young growth has rusty coloured hairs. The leaves are simple and 8-16 cm long by 3-4 cm wide. They occur one after another or in rings. They are dark green and wedge shaped but tapering to the base and with a rounded tip. The broken leaves and twigs have milky latex. The flowers are 0.7 cm logn and greenish-white. The are like tubes at the base and with 5 pointed lobes. The fruit are 30-40 mm long by 20-30 mm wide. These occur singly in the axils of leaves and from mature branches. They have one seed inside. The seed is 25 mm long by 12-20 mm wide. The flesh of the fruit is edible.

Where it is found

It grows in tropical rainforests. It grows in coastal districts and along streams. They need well drained soil. In Townsville palmetum.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia (country/location of origin), Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from fresh seed.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Bassia galactoxyla F.Muell.; Lucuma galactoxyla (F.Muell.) Benth.; Sersalisia galactoxylon (F. Muell.) Benth.;