Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd.

Tree, up to 20 m high. Twigs densely clothed in stellate hairs when young, becoming rounded, ± smooth and glabrous when older. Lvs densely clothed in stellate hairs when young, glabrous when mature, ovate or broadly ovate and 3–5-lobed, sometimes entire and ovate near infl., obtuse to cordate at base, c. 6–13 cm long; apex and lobes usually acute (lateral lobes rarely rounded); lf hairs giving a frosted appearance to the tree; petiole usually = or > blade; stipules soon deciduous. Panicles erect; bracts deciduous; fls white. Fr. glabrous, shallowly grooved between cells, ± smooth or irregularly bullate, c. 2.5 cm diam., becoming very hard; beak short or 0.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Sep.–Feb.