David’s heart! I love this common name for this tree (for obvious reasons).
Other common (and very apt) names of this tree include: Parasol leaf tree, Blush Macaranga, Nasturtium tree, and Heart leaf.
Macaranga tanarius has large dinner-plate sized leaves (up to over 20cm across; thus “Parasol leaf tree”) and the stalk is very obviously attached near the center of the lower surface rather than the margin (botanically this is known as a peltate leaf). Thus the common name nasturtium tree due to this similarily in the leaf stalk insertion.
The branchlets are smooth, bluish grey with prominent leaf scars, and exudes a resin when cut.
The species is also is a pioneer shrub or bushy tree species favours regrowth environments and forest edges, but it can attain a stature of over 10 metres tall, with a stem diameter of up to 40 cm.
Found just about everywhere in the lowlands of Far North Queensland, this tree gets all the way down South into the state of New South Wales, and is also distributed widely in and Asia.
It makes for an attractive ornamental tree due to its form and large interesting leaves. Also well regarded by bush regenerators to provide shade for juvenile trees.
Might I wax lyrical to say that the “Heart of David” wishes exactly for this – to be a source of things beauty, and for the revival of the forest.
Leaf Whispering in the Tropics 