Image: Fruit
Large shrub/small tree to 10m tall common in subtropical and dry rainforest and rainforest margins.
Fruit is a mauve/purplish drupe usually four lobed. Ripe April-May. Edible but very aromatic (too aromatic for some).
Propagate from fresh washed seed.
Image: Foliage and flowers
Leaves are one-foliolate, opposite, glossy dark green to about 7cm long. The leaves retain scars showing their evolution from compound leaves to one- foliate. Leaves are aromatic when crushed.
Image: Flower closeup
Flowers are creamy white in small clusters from leaf axils from November-March. All (or most of) the Acronychias have been tested for the potency of their essential oils. They have been referred to as "turpentine flavoured" which is a little cruel.
Fruit and foliage
A group of the characteristically shaped and coloured fruit — some of these are not quite mature.
"All of the Australian species have quite fleshy, generally strongly astringent fruits, which are usually green, cream, pink or purple in color. Some species, e.g. A. acidula, are favored for the use of the fruit in preserves and experimental plantings for this "bushfood" industry have been undertaken on a small scale. The foliage of all the Australian species has noticeable oil-glands, and the leaves when crushed emit a generally strong aromatic citrusy scent." - Leaf Essential Oils of the Australian Species of Acronychia (Rutaceae) Journal of Essential Oil Research: JEOR, Nov/Dec 2004 by Brophy, Joseph J, Goldsack, Robert J, Forster, Paul I
Image: Tubestock
Acronychia from Greek akros at the farthest point or end, hence topmost, outermost, inmost or highest and onux uchos, talons or claws, referring to the claw-like tips of the petals; laevis, botanical Latin meaning smooth, free from uneveness, hairs or roughness in reference to the leaf surface.