Copperfruit

This modest-sized fruit tree grows up to 16 feet (4.9 meters) tall and lives for up to 40 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 47 years old. It is not very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has a wide, curved trunk covered in hard, knobbly, copper-coloured bark, and inside, the flexible wood is yellow-brown.

The branches trail down across the ground and are covered with small amounts of miniature, broad, flat leaves with serrated edges. The leaves themselves are generally black.

In early spring, it produces thick bunches of large, aquamarine blossoms with long, narrow petals with a tube-like floral cup. They detach easily and have an intensely strong scent that smells like an ocean breeze.

In mid-autumn it produces small, cuboid fruit. The fuzzy blue skin is thin and edible when cooked; it is sweet and spicy, and the soft turquoise flesh is bitter and very juicy. The green seeds are tiny and are dotted around on the skin of the fruit.

The roots are long and grow straight down, and overall the tree is sturdy and difficult to uproot.

Forests of this species feature trees spaced far apart, with the space between them filled with thick undergrowth.