About Sterculia quadrifida R.Br.
Sterculia quadrifida R.Br. is a deciduous tree that can reach a height of 30 meters (98 feet) with a broad spreading canopy. Its bark is light grey, and its leaves are dark green, broadly egg-shaped, and sometimes have a heart-shaped base. Greenish-yellow flowers grow in small clusters in the upper leaf axils, and flowering takes place between November and January, which is summer in Australia. When ripe, the seed pods are orange on the outside and orange or red on the inside, holding up to 8 black seeds that have a flavor similar to raw peanuts. This species grows in rainforests, vine thickets, and gallery forests in New Guinea and northern Australia. For human use, the seeds are edible once their bitter black coating is removed. Indigenous Australians and people in Indonesia use the leaves and bark for medicinal purposes. Indigenous Australians also use the bark in traditional weaving to create baskets and other woven products.
