Pittosporum senacia aka Cheesewood

Pittosporum senacia is a shrub or small tree. It is evergreen, so it keeps its leaves all year. It belongs to the plant family Pittosporaceae. Kew lists Mauritius and Réunion as its native range. Useful Tropical Plants also includes Madagascar and Seychelles. The two sources thus differ on its full native range. Kew places it in the wet tropical biome.

Useful Tropical Plants calls it a strong-growing, woody plant. Its profile gives a height of about 11.5 feet [3.5 metres]. It also reports plants reaching 16.4 feet [5 metres]. It gives no clear height range for plants in gardens. It does not state how wide a full-grown plant grows. The account gives no details of leaf shape or bark. It does not describe the stems, flowers, or fruit. Insects pollinate the flowers. The account does not say when they bloom.

The plant grows in rainforest and forest near the coast. It also grows on rocky slopes and alluvial ground. Records place it on sandstone, limestone, and granite. These records show where it grows in the wild. They do not show which garden soils suit it through tests. The notes on how to grow it cover the whole genus. They do not state this species' exact light or water needs. They give no frost limit or hardiness zone for this species. Nor do they give a clear growth rate in gardens.

People gather the wild plant for use in local medicine. In Réunion, they use both the bark and the leaves. Past records note use for angina, blennorrhagia, and syphilis. Those records do not name which plant part people used. They record past uses, not proof that treatment works or is safe. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known use as food. It also reports no known hazards. This does not mean the plant is safe to eat. The account gives no other uses or clear roles in landscapes.

The account says to sow seed soon after it ripens. It also lists cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel. These cuttings measure about 0.16–0.23 feet [0.05–0.07 metres] long. It lists basal ripewood cuttings in a cold frame, too. The evidence names no pests or diseases. It gives no basis to judge the plant's weed risk. Nor does it show how hard the plant is to care for.