Myrtle mangrove
Osbornia octodonta
Family: Myrtaceae
What it is like
A shrub with many stems. It grows 2-4 m tall. The leaves are opposite and smooth. They become wider and rounded towards the tip and taper to the base. The blade is 2-5 cm long by 1-2.1 cm wide. The stalks are short. The flowers are pale green and without stalks. They are slightly like tubes and 0.7-1 cm long by 0.4 cm wide. About 1-3 flowers occur together in the axils of the upper leaves. The fruit are cone shaped and 0.7-1 cm long by 0.4-0.7 cm wide. They are in a velvety tube with lobes at the tip. These contain 1-2 seeds.
There is only one Osbornia species.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. They grow in mangrove forests near the landward side. They can grow along tidal watercourses.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia (country/location of origin), Indonesia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia
How it is used for food
The leaves are used as flavouring when cooking turtles.
Edible parts
Leaves - flavouring
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed.