Trees or shrubs usually to 3 m; older branches terete or nearly so; twigs weakly compressed, distally 4-winged or ribbed, wings merging in pairs, forming pocketlike structure just distal to many leaf nodes and decussate with petioles of that node; bark tan, flaky. Leaves: blade obovate or elliptic, 3–9 × 1.2–3.2 cm, base cuneate to narrowly so, apex acute or abruptly acuminate, mucronate, surfaces glandular or eglandular, glands sparse abaxially, small, obscure, or absent adaxially. Inflorescences 3–7-flowered, ter­minal, also axillary in distal leaf-axils, dichasia; axis 10–15 mm; bracts deciduous well before anthesis (leaving prominent scar); bracteoles early deciduous. Flowers sessile or pedicellate; bud clavate, 6–10 mm; hypanthium narrowly obconic-campanulate; calyx lobes persistent, ovate, in subequal pairs, 2–3 ×2–4 mm, margins scarious, apex bluntly acute to rounded; petals distinct, orbiculate, 3–5 mm diam., margins scarious, apex rounded; stamens 100–150, ca. 10 mm; style 7–24 mm. Berries red or purple, globose or ellipsoid, 14–23 mm.

Phenology: Flowering late summer–winter.
Habitat: Disturbed riparian areas.
Elevation: 0–50 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Introduced; Calif., Australia

Discussion

Syzygium australe is known in the flora area from Los Angeles to San Diego in southern California,

Syzygium australe is sometimes confused with S. paniculatum Gaertner, which also is commonly cultivated in California and naturalized near San Diego. Syzygium paniculatum differs from S. australe in twigs not winged or ribbed and in not having a pocketlike structure just distal to leaf nodes, decussate with the petioles at that leaf node. The seeds of S. paniculatum are commonly polyembryonic.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.