Bolwarra

Eupomatia laurina

Common name: Native guava/ Bolwarra

First nations name: Bolwarra

Scientific name: Eupomatia laurina
 
Height: 3-5m tall

Leaves: The bolwarra plant has large glossy leaves

Flowers: Heavily scented, cream-coloured flowers

Fruit: The flowers have a sweet fruity smell and an edible creamy pulp and many seeds (like a guava). You can tell that they are ripe when they are soft to squeeze.

First Nations uses: This fruit is used as a food source for many different dishes.

Bolwarra_01

Jules_01

Geographical location: It grows naturally in eastern Australia and New Guinea

Conservation status: Least concern

Photo & Research by: Jules

Interesting fact:

The cream flowers have a strong fragrance to attract pollinators, which for this plant is a beetle (small brown weevil). As it is reliant on a single genus of weevil for pollination, it is considered a relict plant. If this genera of weevils experience a significant decline, due to increased use of pesticides or changing environmental conditions, the bolwarra could eventually become at risk of extinction.