30 
Botanical Name. — Pittosporum (Greek), pitte to pitch; sporos a seed, the 
seeds being sticky and sometimes black, like pitch ; pliyllyrceoides , with leaves like 
the common Phillyrea angustifolia, Linn., of Europe. 
Vernacular Names. —Sometimes called “ Butter Bush ” in Northern 
Australia, perhaps because of the greasy appearance of the seeds ; hut that is 
merely surmise. “ Willow Tree,” or “ Native Willow,” of many parts of Australia, 
on account of its graceful, Willow-like foliage and habit. Called “ Poison-berry 
Tree ” in South Australia. The berries are not poisonous, only bitter. Miss M. A. 
Clements, of Palesthan, Condobolin, informs me that owing to the bitterness, or 
rather acridity, the tree is sometimes known as “Quinine Tree.” We have, of 
course, several so-called “ Quinine Trees.” She also states that some people call it 
“ Bell’s Orange.” 
Synonyms — 
P. angustifolium , Lodd.; Bot. Cab., t. 1859. 
P. longifolium and P. Roeanum , Putterl.; Syn. Pittosp., 15, 16. 
P. ligustrifolwm, A. Cunn.; in Putterl., in PI. Preiss, i. 190. 
P. oleifolium , A. Cunn.; in Putterl., Syn. Pittosp., 17. 
P. acacioides, A. Cunn.; in Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 1, iv, 109. 
P. salicinum, Lindl.; in Mitchell’s Tropical Australia , 97. 
P. lanceolatum, A. Cunn.; in Mitch., l.c. 272 and 291. 
The plant is somewhat variable, hence some of the synonyms. Allan 
Cunningham, who actually collected, made three species, and Putterlick, the mono¬ 
grapher of the genus, added to the number. 
Leaves. —In times of scarcity this tree is of great value, as it withstands 
the drought, and sheep and cattle browse upon its foliage. Stock are so partial to 
it in the interior districts that it is in danger of extermination in parts, and it is a 
tree which should be conserved. 
Emits. —The fruit is of a yellow or orange colour, and is very ornamental 
when it dehisces and exposes its contents of small, more or less angular, sticky, red 
seeds. 
“ The seeds are very bitter to the taste, yet the aborigines in the interior of 
South Australia were in the habit of pounding them into flour for use as food.” 
(Tepper.) Mr. J. B. Chisholm, p. 31, says they are not eaten by the aborigines of 
Northern Queensland. 
