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Species of plant in the family Malvaceae
Sterculia quadrifida
, also known as the
peanut tree
,
monkey nut
[3]
or
red-fruited kurrajong
is a small tree that grows in the
rainforests
, vine thickets, and
gallery forests
of
New Guinea
and northern
Australia
.
[4]
The tree grows to a height of 30 m (98 ft)
[5]
and has a spreading deciduous canopy. The bark is a light grey and the leaves are dark green and broad egg-shaped or sometimes heart-shaped at the base. The flowers, which are greenish-yellow and are borne in small clusters in the upper axils, occur from November to January (summer in Australia).
Seed pods are orange outside and orange or red inside when ripe. These pods contain up to 8 black seeds that are edible and taste like raw peanuts.
[6]
The bitter black coating on the seeds is removed before consumption.
Alternative common names for this species include
kuman
,
orange-fruited kurrajong
,
orange-fruited sterculia
,
red-fruited kurrajong
,
smooth-seeded kurrajong
,
white crowsfoot
and
small-flowered kurrajong
.
The bark is used by
Aboriginal people
in their
traditional weaving
techniques to make baskets and other products.
References
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External links
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