Cryptocarya meissneriana

Cryptocarya meissneriana, known as the thick-leaved laurel is a small tree growing in eastern Australia. Its habitat is rainforest on poorer sedimentary soils.

The natural range of distribution is from the Wangat River (32° S) in the Barrington Tops to the Logan River (27° S) in southeastern Queensland. This tree was named after Carl Meissner, a Swiss botanist.

Description
Cryptocarya meissneriana is a small tree, reaching 10 metres in height and a trunk diameter of 25 cm. The bark is brown, mostly smooth with vertical lines of bumps.

The leaves are alternate, simple, narrow, with a prominent tip. They are not particularly thick as the common name might suggest, 5 to 9 cm long. They are glossy green above, paler below, and sometimes glaucous underneath. The mid vein is depressed on the upper surface and raised on the lower side of the leaf. Small branches are smooth and green.

Tiny, pale green or cream flowers form on panicles in the months of October to January. The fruit is a black fleshy drupe, around 15 mm long. Like many Australian Cryptocarya, the fruit is ribbed and pointed. Fruit matures from March to April. Regeneration from fresh seed is slow but fairly reliable. Removal of the fleshy black aril is advised to assist germination.