Pittosporum ferrugineum, commonly known as the rusty pittosporum or rusty-leaved pittosporum, is an evergreen plant in the family Pittosporaceae native to Malesia, Papuasia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. Description Pittosporum ferrugineum is a shrub or small tree growing to around high. The new growth (twigs, leaves and flowers) is densely covered in fine rusty-brown hairs − giving rise to the common name − but becoming less hairy as it matures. Leaves are dull green, elliptic to narrow-elliptic, long by wide, on a petiole long. The inflorescences are clusters of flowers about wide, produced in the leaf axils at any time of the year. The fragrant flowers have five petals, measure about long and wide, and are white, cream or yellow in colour. The dull yellow or orange fruit is a dehiscent 2-valved capsule containing up to 16 small red seeds aggregated into a sticky ball. Taxonomy This species was first described − albeit very briefly − and named in 1811 by the English botanist William Townsend Aiton in the book Hortus Kewensis. Subspecies There are two subspecies of this taxon recognised by Plants of the World Online (POWO) − P.f. laxiflorum , and the autonym P.f. ferrugineum. An additional subspecies is recognised by World Flora Online − P.f. linifolium . Etymology The species epithet ferrugineum is from the Latin ferrugineus, meaning "of the colour of rust", and was given to this species by Aiton in reference to the dense red-brown hairs on the plant. Distribution and habitat The rusty-leaved pittosporum is found in Malesia, Papuasia and northern Australia, with records from Malaysia, Borneo, Sulawesi, the Philippines, the Caroline Islands, Java, Sumatra, Lesser Sunda Islands, the Maluku Islands, New Guinea, the Bismark Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, Christmas Island, the Northern Territory and Queensland. It has been introduced to Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Vietnam. This species is known to inhabit drier rainforest types such as monsoon forest, beach forest and the margins of mangrove forest. Ecology The fruit of this species is eaten by metallic starlings (Aplonis metallica). Flowers attract a variety of birds and butterflies. Conservation This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern. , it has not been assessed by the IUCN. Gallery References External links View a map of historical sightings of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium View observations of this species on iNaturalist View images of this species