Alectryon / Grey Bird’s Eye
Origin of name
Family: SAPINDACEAE
- Alectryon meaning “rooster“
- connatus meaning “joined or fused together“
Occurrence
A local plant of vine thicket, beach forest, and monsoon and dry rainforest.
Hardy in poorer, granitic or sandy soils, even in hot, dry areas. Tolerates some shade and some salt in soil/winds. Requires good drainage. Slow growing, but forms a bushy, shady plant if given enough water and nutrients.
Appearance
Small tree to ~6m. Clusters of green-cream flowers (Feb-Mar) are followed by fruit (orange capsules with 3-4 lobes) containing black seeds in a red pulp.
Provides food (seeds, fruit, nectar, insects) & shelter for birds. Host to soapberry bugs (Leptocoris spp.). Larval food plant of Hairy Line-blue and Macqueen’s Hairstreak butterflies.
