Alangium polyosmoides | |
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Flowers and foliage of the black muskheart, showing many small pale domatia on the underside of the leaves | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Cornales |
Family: | Cornaceae |
Genus: | Alangium |
Species: | A. polyosmoides |
Binomial name | |
Alangium polyosmoides (F.Muell.) W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Alangium polyosmoides is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It occurs on a variety of different soils, generally close to the coast. Found from Minmi near Newcastle to as far north as the McIlwraith Range in far north eastern Australia. It may be seen as a common understorey plant at Wingham Brush Nature Reserve.
Common names include muskwood, black muskheart, brown muskheart and canary muskheart. The generic name is from the Malabar people, being their name of the related Asian species, Alangium decapetalum . The specific epithet means "hairy". The subspecies name refers to the similarity of the leaves in the genus Polyosma . [2]
A small to occasionally mid-sized tree. Up to 20 m (66 ft) in height and with a trunk diameter of 90 cm (35 in). The trunk in larger trees may be buttressed. The bark is marked by lenticels, scales and corky bumps and irregularities, mostly greyish brown in colour. Small branches thin and grey, though hairy and green towards the end. In this subspecies, the twig between the leaves is not particularly hairy.
Mature leaves are from 4 to 15 cm (1.4–6 in) long and 2 to 4 cm (0.8-1.6 in) wide, [3] though juveniles may be larger. Alternate on the stem with a fairly long point. Leaves shaped oblong-ovate or oblong-elliptical. Unequal at the leaf base. Midrib, lateral veins and net veins evident from below the leaf. As are numerous yellow coloured bumps along the lateral veins and mid rib. This makes identification of this plant very clear, when in the rainforest. Leaf stem 6 to 13 mm long.
Pale yellow flowers form on cymes from the leaf axils. Three to five flowers per cyme, the flowers have a honeysuckle scent. The cyme is less than 2 cm long, which appears from October to April. 4 to 6 petals per flower, 2 mm wide and around 5 mm long.
The fruit is a dark drupe, black or almost black. Ribbed and oval, 10 to 20 mm long. Fruit ripens from September to February and is eaten by rainforest birds, including the rose-crowned fruit-dove, topknot pigeon and wompoo fruit-dove. Inside the fruit is an elliptic shaped, pointed seed, 10 mm long.
Cryptocarya obovata is a species of laurel growing on basaltic and fertile alluvial soils in eastern Australian rainforests. It is found from Wyong in New South Wales to Gympie in the state of Queensland. Extinct in the Illawarra region, allegedly last seen in the Illawarra in 1818 by Allan Cunningham. The species was included in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen, 402 (1810)
Vitex lignum-vitae, known in Australia as yellow hollywood or "lignum-vitae", is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. The natural range of distribution is in dry, sub-tropical or tropical rainforest from the Richmond River, New South Wales to Cape York Peninsula at the northernmost tip of Australia. It also occurs in New Guinea. Lignum vitae is Latin for "wood of life".
Diospyros australis is the most southerly of the group of some 450 ebonies and persimmons. It is a shrub or small tree growing in rainforests of seaward eastern Australia. The habitat is in a variety of different rainforest forms, though not often seen in the cool temperate rainforests. The range of natural distribution is from Durras Lake near Batemans Bay in south east New South Wales, to Atherton in tropical Queensland.
Claoxylon australe, known as brittlewood is a common rainforest shrub or understorey tree. The habitat is all types of eastern Australian rainforests. The natural range of distribution is from Eden in south eastern New South Wales to Bowen in tropical Queensland.
Psychotria loniceroides, the hairy psychotria, is a plant native to the forest areas of eastern Australia.
Endiandra discolor is an Australian tree, growing from near Gosford, New South Wales to Tully, Queensland in the tropics. Common names include rose walnut and domatia tree.
Aphananthe philippinensis is a common rainforest tree in the family Cannabaceae. In Australia it occurs from the Manning River in New South Wales to near Herberton in tropical Queensland. It was first described from the island of Luzon in the Philippines, hence the species name. The generic name of Aphananthe refers to insignificant flowers. This plant also occurs on the Solomon Islands and in Papua New Guinea
Endiandra virens is an Australian tree in the laurel family. Growing from Boorganna Nature Reserve north west of Taree, New South Wales to Kin Kin in Southern Queensland. Common names include White Apple, Plumwood, and New South Wales Walnut.
Clerodendrum tomentosum, known as the downy chance, hairy lolly bush, hairy clairy or hairy clerodendrum is a shrub or small tree occurring in eastern and northern Australia. Distributed from Batemans Bay in southern coastal New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, and New Guinea.
Cryptocarya bidwillii, the yellow laurel, is a small to medium-sized tree in the laurel family. Occurring in Australian rainforests from Nymboida in the state of New South Wales to Townsville in tropical Queensland. Often found in the dryer ridges in dry rainforest or in viney scrubs.
Mallotus philippensis is a plant in the spurge family. It is known as the kamala tree or red kamala or kumkum tree, due to the fruit covering, which produces a red dye. However, it must be distinguished from kamala meaning "lotus" in many Indian languages, an unrelated plant, flower, and sometimes metonymic spiritual or artistic concept. Mallotus philippensis has many other local names. This kamala often appears in rainforest margins. Or in disturbed areas free from fire, in moderate to high rainfall areas.
Drypetes deplanchei is a tree of eastern and northern Australia. It also occurs in New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island. The genus is derived from the Greek, dryppa meaning "olive fruit". The species named after Dr. Emile Deplanche, who collected this plant at New Caledonia. Common names include yellow tulip, grey boxwood, white myrtle, grey bark and yellow tulipwood.
Bridelia exaltata, known as the brush ironbark or scrub ironbark, is a tree of eastern Australia. It occurs in and on the margins of the drier rainforests. Also occurring by streams, often in association with the Black Bean, up to an elevation of 600 metres above sea level. It occurs from Seal Rocks, New South Wales to Maryborough, Queensland.
Endiandra muelleri is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Its habitat is in warm temperate rainforests on poorer soils. Distributed from the Allyn River in the Barrington Tops region in the south to Kroombit Tops to the north in central Queensland.
Arytera distylis, known as the two-leaved coogera or twin-leaved coogera is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It grows by streams or in sea side rainforests. It occurs from the Orara River in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, extending up to Maryborough in south east Queensland.
Ochrosia moorei, known as the southern ochrosia is a rainforest plant of eastern Australia. Endangered by extinction, it has a ROTAP rating of 2ECi.
Cupaniopsis newmanii is a rainforest plant in the soapberry family. It is native to eastern Australia. The common name is long-leaved tuckeroo. A rare plant, with a ROTAP listing of 2RC-. The habitat sub tropical rainforest ranging from Mullumbimby in New South Wales to Gympie in south-eastern Queensland.
Planchonella queenslandica, the blush condoo, is a large rainforest tree of the family Sapotaceae native to eastern Australia. It is found in sea side rainforest as well as the drier inland rainforests. From as far south as the Richmond River, New South Wales to Coen in tropical Queensland, and as far west as Melville Island, Northern Territory.
Acronychia pubescens, commonly known as hairy acronychia or hairy aspen, is a species of tall shrub or small tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It usually has trifoliate leaves, rarely simple leaves, groups of whitish flowers in leaf axils and creamy to yellowish, elliptical to spherical fruit.
Elattostachys xylocarpa, known as the white tamarind or short-leaf beetroot is a common rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Found in the drier rainforests, which are based on volcanic soils. From as far south as the Orara River in northern New South Wales to Bowen in tropical Queensland. The name Elattostachys refers to "little spikes", a flower feature of other plants in this genus. xylocarpa refers to the hard woody fruit.