Australian mulberry

Hedycarya angustifolia is a shrub or small tree that typically grows to a height of 2–10 m (6 ft 7 in – 32 ft 10 in). Its leaves are elliptic or egg-shaped to lance-shaped, 40–160 mm (1.6–6.3 in) long and 15–60 mm (0.59–2.36 in) wide on a petiole 15–40 mm (0.59–1.57 in) long. The leaves are coarsely toothed and the midvein is prominent on both surfaces. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. Male flowers are borne in clusters of 5 to 16, 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) long, each flower more or less flattened cup-shaped, about 6 mm (0.24 in) in diameter on a pedicel 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) long with 8 tepals and about 50 stamens. Female flowers are borne in groups of 2 to 4, more or less cup-shaped, each flower on a pedicel 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long with 12 small tepals and mostly about 6 mm (0.24 in) in diameter on a pedicel 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long, with 40–50 carpels. Flowering occurs from May to November, and the fruit is a spherical drupe in tight clusters that turns yellow or orange, about 3.5 mm (0.14 in) in diameter.

Hedycarya angustifolia grows in and near the margins of rainforest, often in moist mountain gullies, and is widespread from south-east Queensland, through eastern New South Wales and eastern and southern Victoria to King Island in Tasmania.

Indigenous Australians used the wood for spear tips and to make bow drills.

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