Doryphora sassafras
Atherospermataceae
Very common
Sassafras is a large tree with flaky pale brown bark, often with two or more trunks. The leaves are dark, glossy green above, 4-10 cm long, with a distinct and sunken midvein; the leaf underside is a lighter green.
The leaf edge is coarsely toothed and the tip is blunt or shortly pointed. When crushed, the leaves are distinctly aromatic.
The white, fragrant flowers appear in spring, the number of flowers varying greatly from year to year. The ribbed, green fruit has an elongated, pear shape and ripens in autumn to early winter, when it splits to liberate brown seeds, each with a fluffy appendage for wind dispersal.
DISTRIBUTION:
Pambula, NSW to Nambour, QLD
