Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd.
Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd. var. moluccanaAleurites remyi SherffAleurites triloba J.R. Forst. & G. Forst.
Native to China, Taiwan, the Indian sub-continent (i.e. India and Sri Lanka), south-eastern Asia (i.e. Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea) and northern Queensland. However, this species is widely cultivated and naturalised in tropics, and its exact native range is somewhat obscure. It is thought to have been spread throughout many islands in the Pacific by native islanders, prior to the arrival of Europeans.
Occasionally naturalised in the coastal districts of northern and central New South Wales and beyond its native range in south-eastern Queensland. Also naturalised on Christmas Island and in other parts of the world (e.g. Florida in south-eastern USA).
Candle nut (Aleurites moluccana) is often planted as an ornamental, particularly in the coastal areas of eastern Australia. This species, which is native to the rainforests of northern Queensland, has escaped cultivation and become a weed in some parts of eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland. Up until recent times, it was often also planted in rainforest revegetation sites and this has no doubt aided its spread into bushland areas. Candle nut (Aleurites moluccana) is on the New South Wales North Coast environmental weed survey list and is also becoming a pest in suburban Brisbane. For example, several saplings and small trees are naturalised along Enoggera Creek in The Gap in Brisbane, after spreading from specimens included in a revegetation planting.
Candle nut (Aleurites moluccana) has also begun to spread into undisturbed forest areas on Christmas Island. It is thought to pose a threat to natural vegetation on the island, by causing attrition of the forest edges and interupting natural succession in these areas. This species was also widely planted in previous rehabilitation operations on Christmas Island, and a control program is required to prevent it spreading further into forest areas.