Everything about Billardiera Scandens totally explained
Billardiera scandens, commonly known as
Apple Berry or
Apple Dumpling, is a small shrub or twining plant of the
Pittosporaceae family which occurs in forests in the coastal and tableland areas of all states and territories in
Australia, apart from the
Northern Territory and
Western Australia. It has a silky touch and appearance that becomes more brittle as the dense growth matures. The
inflorescence consists of a single or paired yellow
flowers, pink-tinged yellow
sepals and bright yellow petals and is attached to a hairy drooping
peduncle. The summer flush produces
fruit of oblong berries up to 30
mm long, initially green in colour and covered in fine hair - somewhat akin to a tiny
kiwifruit in appearance.
The flowers and fruit are attractive to both birds and people. The fruits, which only ripen after dropping to the ground, are valued as an Australian
bush food and are variously described as tasting like stewed
apples or kiwifruit. They were eaten by
Australian Aborigines either in their ripened state or by roasting the unripened fruit. Botanist
Joseph Maiden noted in 1898 that children of European settlers in the
Port Jackson area, where it's commonly found, had been eating the berries since the foundation of the settlement in 1788.
It is a popular choice in Australian
gardens, especially those
favouring indigenous plants as a rambling yet non-dominant shrub, especially beneath
eucalypts and between other
native species. The species is also grown in gardens around the world and is easily propagated and maintained. It is an adaptable plant, and will withstand a wide range of conditions, including mild frost, semi-shade and periods of dryness although it performs best in moist conditions. It also tolerates a wide variety of soils, including clay.
B. scandens was first published in 1793 by
James Edward Smith, in his
A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland. In 1819 the genus was renamed
Labillardiera by
Josef August Schultes, but this was later declared illegal under the laws of
botanical nomenclature. A
cladistic analysis of the genus in 2004 resulted in an expanded circumscription of this species, encompassing material that was previously placed in
B. angustifolia,
B. brachyantha,
B. daphnoides,
B. latifolia and
B. canariensis. All of these names are now considered
taxonomic synonyms of
B. scandens.
Further Information
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