Family: Apocynaceae.
Synonyms: Ervatamia orientalis
Common names: Iodine bush, bitter bark
Habit: open shrub to small tree, from 1m in exposed coastal situations to 15m in sheltered moist sites.
Foliage: simple leaves elliptic to obovate, opposite, 50-140 x 15-75 mm, tapering to base, distinct venation, foliage and stems exude white latex when damaged.
Flowers; white fragrant flowers , 5 twisted petals fusing to form tube 10-14 mm long, regularly symmetrical, 8-12 mm wide. Flowers oct-may.
Fruit: pair of ovoid, oblique dry orange fruits, 12-20 x 6-8 mm, three sided longitudinally winged, splits along one side to reveal many seeds with red succulent/ fleshy aril.
Notes: T. orientalis (or Ervatamia orientalis) is a fairly widespread and possibly very variable shrub, recorded from NT, nth WA and Qld, as well as Papua New Guinea, Melanesia and Indonesia. Habitats include monsoon forest thickets, stabilised sand dunes or sandstone country by streams and vine-thickets on rock outcrops. Appears as a regeneration species after logging operations and along the edges of rainforest and other areas where it can receive full sun. The well known Frangipani (plumeria) and Oleander (nerium) are members of the same family, the flowers of this species also being very fragrant and this shrub may be quite suitable to grow as an ornamental in more tropical gardens. May be amenable to pruning, and propagation from cuttings as well as fresh seeds. Latex reportedly used by aborigenes to cure sores and ulcers, may have some healing (antibiotic?) properties, hence the common name Iodine bush.