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Blue Quandong (fruit)

Elaeocarpus grandis (syn. E. angustifolius)

Photo by Neil Ross
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

It's only taken me 5 years, but this is follow-up to a previous spotting I made back in 2013 of the Blue Quandong, a native Australian rainforest tree. The species is known as a "bush tucker plant" because it bears edible fruit, and that's what I want to show with this spotting. The fruit is 25-30mm in diameter, and is best consumed when slightly over-ripe and soft, otherwise it can taste quite bitter. Inside is a rough woody stone containing up to 5 seeds. A rich source of vitamin C, it was valued by Indigenous Australians, then also by the early pastoralists. Today, contemporary cuisine is widening its use of the quandong. The fruit is also eaten whole, and thus dispersed, by cassowaries, woompoo pigeons and spectacled flying foxes, which pass the nut undamaged. Information on the tree itself can be found at my previous spotting: https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/29836003

Habitat:

Found in coastal and mountain rainforests of eastern Australia. Occurs in sub-tropical rainforest and along moist, scrubby watercourses. This specimen was spotted in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, Mt. Coot-Tha, in a very large, well-established sub-tropical rainforest section of the gardens.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (4)

I have a blue quandong in my front yard. Im ~30km from Brisbane near the bay. It's been fruiting since late August. I'm new to the area but have been told the tree is between is ~ 150 <-> 300 y.o. by locals. I cannot verify this
I'll try anything at least once. I recently had a friend grow and share a black sapote. Probably the best fruit ever.
I've yet to try it. I don't expect it to have too much flavour.
I've never seen a pure blue fruit before, that's wonderful! Great spotting!

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