Cryptocarya obovata, commonly known as pepperberry or white walnut, is a species of laurel growing on basaltic and fertile alluvial soils in eastern Australian rainforests. It is found from Wyong (33° S) in New South Wales to Gympie (27° S) in the state of Queensland. Extinct in the Illawarra region (34° S), it was allegedly last seen in the Illawarra in 1818 by Allan Cunningham.[1] The species was included in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen, 402 (1810).
Cryptocarya obovata, known as the pepperberry or white walnut, reaches a height of 40 metres and a trunk diameter of 90 cm. The hairy underside of the leaves gives the tree a rusty appearance when viewed from below.
The trunk is straight and round in cross section, usually buttressed. The bark is grey or brown and usually fairly smooth. Vertical lines of pustules are often seen.
Leaves are alternate, obovate or oblong, 6 to 12 cm long, with a round tip. The upper surface is smooth and glossy, the underside usually greyish and finely hairy. The brown leaf stalks are 3 to 8 mm long.
Leaf venation is prominent, with the raised midrib, lateral and net veins covered in brown hairs, standing out conspicuously. The veins are brownish orange or yellow in colour.
Cream-coloured flowers form in panicles, with individual flowers about 3 mm long and almost without stalks. Flowering occurs between February and May.
The fruit is a black globular drupe, usually ribbed, 12 mm in diameter. The seed is around 8 mm in diameter. Fruit ripen from March to May, and are eaten by Australasian figbird, rose-crowned fruit-dove, topknot pigeon and wompoo fruit dove.
Like most Australian Cryptocarya fruit, removal of the fleshy aril is advised to assist seed germination, which is slow with Cryptocarya obovata. After 205 days, a 50% germination success may be expected.