Pittosporum tobira (Thunb.) W.T. Aiton

Spice Fruit detail Fruit In the field

Family: PITTOSPORACEAE

Genus: Pittosporum

Spanish common name: Pitósporo japonés.

Province distribution: Balearic Islands.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Chinese-Japanese

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Macrophanerophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Rocky coastlines. Garden plants. Non-saline wetlands (intermittent watercourses, streams, artesian wells, ditches). Parks and gardens. Naturalizated.

Characteristics: A shrub that grows to 5 m. in height. The spoon shaped leaves are coriaceous and with a marked nerve on the face; are grouped at the outer branches. Flowers can be yellow or white, aromatic. The fruit is formed by three valves, that when open display brownish-reddish seeds.