Pittosporum pentandrum (Blanco) Merr.

Species Identification

This species is Pittosporum pentandrum (Blanco) Merr.

General Growth Form

Plants in the Pittosporum genus are shrubs or trees, and are occasionally spiny.

Leaf Characteristics

They have smooth-edged leaves that range from linear to lance-shaped or egg-shaped, with the narrower end toward the base, and each leaf is borne on a petiole.

Inflorescence Arrangement

Flowers grow at the ends of branches or in leaf axils, arranged in cymes or clusters.

Sepal Morphology

Their sepals are free from one another.

Petal Morphology

Petals are linear or lance-shaped with the narrower end toward the base, and are partly fused to form a tube.

Anther Characteristics

Anthers are shorter than the filaments and open via two longitudinal slits.

Fruit and Seed Traits

The fruit is a woody or leathery capsule, containing seeds that are immersed in a sticky fluid.

Native Distribution Range

Plants of the Pittosporum genus are native to parts of southern Africa, Madagascar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan, India, parts of China, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and some Pacific Islands.