About Notelaea ligustrina Vent.
Notelaea ligustrina Vent., commonly called privet mock olive, native olive, doral or silkwood, is a plant in the olive family found in southeastern Australia. It grows in and near rainforests, ranging from areas south of Monga National Park in New South Wales, through Victoria, to the island state of Tasmania. Its specific epithet ligustrina refers to Privet, because this species resembles privet. It is a shrub or small tree that can reach 16 metres in height, with a trunk up to 80 cm in diameter. It has dull, hairless leaves 3 to 10 cm long and 10 to 25 mm wide. Its leaf stems are purple and 2 to 5 mm long. From January to April, greenish-yellow flowers grow in racemes that emerge from leaf axils. Relatively large fruit mature from summer to Easter, reaching up to 10 mm in diameter. These fruits vary in colour, ranging from white to pink to dark purple. Though edible and often produced in heavy yields, the fruit contains a large pip and has a strong, bitter taste that gives it little food value.
