Instead of unpacking — I am getting used to living in a maze of randomly placed boxes — I went for a stroll along the drive way to see what fruit I could find.
My property has a good supply of quandongs (Elaeocarpus). These beautiful, lichen-covered, buttressed trees produce large quantities of fruit that bring in wompoo pigeons and friarbirds. They tower over the canopy, their pendant fruit strung like bunting along the highest branches. Only a neon sign saying 'Free food here' would be more conspicuous.
Green fruit
Not to everyone's taste
Too much effort
Seed casing: branes!
Pay dirtI also found an old seed case from an Atherton oak (Athertonia diversifolia) but haven't been able to find the source. This is largely due to my weak plant ID skillz rather than the cryptic nature of the tree. When it flowers in the late Wet, it should be easier to spot. It produces racemes up to 30 cm long that are packed with cream to brown flowers. Even I couldn't miss that.
The case encloses a large, sweet seed, which is a favourite of white-tailed rats. Maybe I could train a rat to fetch and open for me?
