Murraya koenigii.
Family Rutaceae.
They are sometimes seen as Bergera koenigii but this is not an accepted name.
Originally from India they are commonly seen in Brisbane.
Known as the Curry leaf tree because of the spicy flavour of the leaves.
They are seen as shrubs 2 to 3 m high or trees up to 6 m with a thick crown.
The dark green or blackish-brown bark has lenticels (small, raised dots).
The small branches have short hairs.
The long, alternate, pinnate leaves are 10 – 30 cm long.
The petiole is 2 to 3 cm long and the leaf midrib is covered in simple hairs.
The 13 to 21 (11 – 25) leaflets are alternately to sub-oppositely arranged.
The 0.5 cm long petiolules are reddish.
Leaflets, 2 to 5 or 6 cm long by 1 – 2 cm wide, are ovate to rhombic (diamond-shaped).
The tip tapers to a point and the base is oblique (asymmetric).
The soft, herbaceous leaflets have a slightly toothed edge.
Inflorescences are hairy, branched, terminal clusters of up to 90 flowers.
The bisexual, funnel-shaped flowers are on stalks about 1 cm long.
The 5 triangular sepals, with their bases fused, are covered in hairs.
The 5 petals are white with green glands outside.
They mainly flower in spring but some can often be found most of the year.
There are 10 stamens – with half 4 mm long and the other half 5 or 6 mm long.
The small anthers are dorsifixed.
The superior ovary is 5 or 6 mm long with a short style and a sticky stigma.
The round to oval fruit are about 1.5 cm long.
They ripen from a yellow-green to red then purplish-black.
The blue pulp has 1 (2) dark green seed/s about 1 cm long.
J.F.
