Pomaderris aspera

Pomaderris aspera is a plant from eastern and southern Australia. Mostly seen south of the Barrington Tops in New South Wales to as far south as Wilsons Promontory and Cape Otway on the mainland. Also occurring in Tasmania. Scattered individuals are found in northern New South Wales to as far north as Bunya Mountains National Park in Queensland. The species name refers to the rough feel of the leaves, asper in Latin. The common name is hazel pomaderris. Usually a shrub up to 4 metres tall, however at Wilsons Promontory they can grow to 20 metres tall with a stem diameter of 30 cm. The base of the trunk is not buttressed, however the trunk may be straight or crooked. The bark is dark brown, fairly smooth with some fissures and longitudinal irregularities. Small branches are quite thick and covered in fawn hairs and rusty brown lenticels on larger branchlets. Leaves are 5 to 20 cm long, and 2 to 8 cm wide. Ovate lanceolate in shape with coarse serrations on the leaf edge. Leaf venation conspicuous below the leaf, but sunken on the upper leaf surface. Yellow flowers without petals occur from October to November on panicles. The fruit is a dark brown hairless capsule, 3 mm in diameter. Inside the three carpels is a single bone coloured seed. Fruits ripen from January to March.