Figure

The coastal Weeping Brown Pine (Podocarpus grayae, pictured) is among the more successful of the tropical Conifers of the north-eastern coast and hinterland rainforest. It is found from Cardwell to the tip of Cape York (Moa Island), with an outlying population on the Arnhem Plateau (East Alligator River), Northern Territory. This adaptable species can colonise marginal habitats where nutrient and moisture levels are low, such as mountain slopes, dry ridges, or sandy sites. The Aboriginal people of the Cairns region harvested the fruit of the Brown Pine (Podocarpus grayae) when they ripened in October. The small seed, which is surrounded by green flesh, is attached to a bright pink fleshy peduncle with a pleasant favour.