Aceratium Explained

Aceratium is a genus of about 20 species of trees and shrubs of eastern Malesia and Australasia from the family Elaeocarpaceae. In Australia they are commonly known as carabeens. They grow naturally in rainforests, as large shrubs to understorey trees and large trees.

They grow naturally in New Guinea, the centre of diversity, in New Britain, New Ireland, Vanuatu, Sulawesi, Moluccas, and in Australia, where botanists have formally described five species endemic to the Wet Tropics rainforests of northeastern Queensland.

Some species have uses for their fruits as food and, although not yet well known, some have popularity in cultivation, for example in Brisbane.

Selected species

• Aceratium archboldianum – New Guinea
• Aceratium braithwaitei – New Guinea
• Aceratium brassii – New Guinea
• Aceratium concinnum – Qld, Australia
• Aceratium doggrellii – Qld, Australia
• Aceratium ferrugineum – Qld, Australia
• Aceratium ledermannii – New Guinea, New Britain
• Aceratium megalospermum – Qld, Australia
• Aceratium muellerianum – New Guinea
• Aceratium oppositifolium – Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea region: Kai Islands through to the Santa Cruz group, New Britain, New Ireland, Solomon Islands
• Aceratium pachypetalum – W New Guinea
• Aceratium parvifolium – New Guinea
• Aceratium pittosporoides ; Syn: A. breviflorum – New Guinea
• Aceratium sericeum – W New Guinea
• Aceratium sericoleopsis – Qld, Australia
• Aceratium sinuatum – New Guinea
• Aceratium sphaerocarpum ; Syn: A. erythrocarpum – New Guinea
• Aceratium tomentosum – New Guinea