Sterculia quadrifida
Sterculia quadrifida, also known as the peanut tree, monkey nut or red-fruited kurrajong is a small tree that grows in some forests of New Guinea and Australia.
Description
The tree grows to a height of and has a spreading deciduous canopy. The bark is a light grey and the leaves are dark green and broad egg-shaped or sometimes heart-shaped at the base. The flowers, which are greenish-yellow and are borne in small clusters in the upper axils, occur from November to January.Seed pods are orange outside and orange or red inside when ripe. These pods contain up to 8 black seeds that taste like raw peanuts.
Distribution and habitat
It grows in the rainforests, vine thickets, and gallery forests of New Guinea and northern Australia.Uses
The seeds are edible after removing the bitter black coating.The leaves and bark are used medicinally by indigenous Australians and in Indonesia.
The bark is used by indigenous Australians in their traditional weaving techniques to make baskets and other products.