▁aut umn ▁or ▁spring . ▁The ▁flowers ▁are ▁followed ▁by ▁yellow ▁or ▁red ▁fruit , ▁ 1 ▁to ▁ 4   mm ▁in ▁diameter , ▁containing ▁two ▁to ▁four ▁large ▁se eds . ▁The ▁fruit ▁is ▁ed ible ▁to ▁humans ▁and ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁food ▁source ▁for ▁Ab original ▁Austral ians , ▁especially ▁in ▁more ▁ar id ▁regions . ▁The ▁fruit ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁food ▁source ▁for ▁many ▁bird ▁species . ▁ ▁E h ret ia ▁s align a ▁grows ▁in ▁an ▁extremely ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁environments , ▁from ▁tropical ▁rain for est ▁and ▁mar sh land ▁to ▁hot ▁desert ▁regions . ▁It ▁shows ▁a ▁similarly ▁large ▁degree ▁of ▁variation ▁in ▁leaf ▁type , ▁flower ▁structure ▁and ▁growth ▁habit . ▁This ▁vari ability ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁its ▁being ▁described ▁as ▁at ▁least ▁two ▁distinct ▁species : ▁E . ▁memb ran ifolia ▁and ▁E . ▁s align a . ▁ ▁These ▁former ▁species ▁are ▁now ▁considered ▁vari eties , ▁despite ▁inter grad ing ▁completely . ▁ ▁E h ret ia ▁s align a ▁var . ▁memb ran ifolia ▁is ▁restricted ▁to ▁The ▁Northern ▁Territ ory , ▁North ▁Queensland ▁and ▁coast al ▁regions ▁of ▁Central ▁Queensland ▁south wards ▁to ▁coast al ▁regions ▁of ▁northern ▁New ▁South ▁Wales . ▁It ▁occurs ▁almost ▁exclus ively ▁in ▁mo ister , ▁more ▁heavily ▁wood ed ▁environments , ▁including ▁mon so on ▁forest , ▁litt oral ▁rain for est ▁and ▁the ▁marg ins ▁of ▁low land ▁rain for est . ▁In ▁keeping ▁with ▁its ▁more ▁mes ic ▁environment , ▁it