About Myoporum insulare R.Br.
Commonly called boobialla, Myoporum insulare R.Br. varies in growth form from a prostrate shrub to a small, erect tree reaching 6 metres (20 feet) in height. It produces thick, smooth green leaves that measure 30–90 mm (1.2–3.5 in) long and 7–22 mm (0.28–0.87 in) wide. Leaf edges are either untoothed, or toothed toward the tip of the leaf. Leaves are egg-shaped, and both the upper and lower leaf surfaces are the same dull green colour. White flowers with purple spots grow in clusters of three to eight in leaf axils, and are 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) in diameter. This species has five glabrous, smooth sepals. The tube formed by the petals is 2.3–3.6 mm (0.091–0.142 in) long, with the lobes of the tube about the same length as the tube. The four stamens usually extend slightly beyond the petal tube. Peak flowering occurs from July to February in Western Australia, and from October to December in south-eastern Australia. After flowering, the plant produces a smooth, rounded purple to black drupe that is 4.5–9 mm (0.18–0.35 in) in diameter. Myoporum insulare occurs naturally in coastal areas of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. In New South Wales, it occurs from Eden southward, though an isolated occurrence was recorded much further north on Brush Island. It is also found on Lord Howe Island. In Victoria, it grows in coastal areas and also grows inland in the west of the state. Boobialla is common along the coast of South Australia, and in Western Australia it occurs south from Shark Bay to the South Australian border. It grows in sandy soils, often between rocks or near sandstone. Myoporum insulare is invasive in several African countries and in the western coastal areas of the United States. Invasive populations recorded as this species may actually include some other species of the same genus. In South Africa this species is known by the common name manatoka.
