Pittosporum pentandrum
Pittosporum pentandrum
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Pittosporum species generally grow best in a sunny position, but tolerate light shade. They succeed in most well-drained soils[1, 2]. The tree has escaped from cultivation in Florida, where it has invaded native pine forests[3]. One tree yielded 16 kilos of fruit which, after grinding and then steam distillation, yielded 210 cubic centimetres of an oil of pleasant odour[4]. The fruits are quite small, and there is considerable labour involved in gathering them[4]. Experiments have shown that the plant grows vigorously in cultivation[4]. The flowers are fragrant[4]. Although flowers usually appear to be hermaphrodite, many species of Pittosporum are functionally dioecious, with individual specimens bearing mainly or totally flowers of one sex only. Even so, occasional functionally hermaphrodite flowers will appear and, in at least some species, these flowers can be self-compatible and produce fertile seed even in the absence of any other plants of that species[5]. The species in this genus are also very likely to hybridize with other members of the genus[2]. When growing a species from seed it is important to ensure that the seed either comes from a known wild source, or from isolated specimens in cultivation.
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, when it germinates easily[3]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 7cm with a heel[6]. Basal ripewood cuttings in a cold frame[2]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Pittosporum+pentandrum>
Pollinators
Insects
References
- [1]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
- [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [3]Plant Resources of Southeast Asia — http://proseanet.org/ ↩︎Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
- [4]Minor Products of Philippine Forests — Brown. W. H. · Bureau of Forestry, Manilla. · 1920 ↩︎A useful guide to some of the plants of the area, though terse on details. The book is out of copyright and can be legally downloaded from the Internet.
- [5]Revision of Pittosporum (Pittosporaceae) in Australia — Cayzer L.W.; Crisp M.D. & Telford I.R.H. · 2000 ↩︎A comprehensive review of the genus in Australia
- [6]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
- [7]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
- [8]Asean Tropical Plant Database — http://211.114.21.20/tropicalplant/index.jsp ↩︎Terse details, with photos, of many of the plants growing in the tropical forests of southeast Asia. Gives some details of plant uses along with a description of the plant and its range.
- [9]Philippine Medicinal Plants — http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html ↩︎A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.