Red oak | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Proteales |
Family: | Proteaceae |
Genus: | Carnarvonia |
Species: | C. araliifolia |
Binomial name | |
Carnarvonia araliifolia | |
Carnarvonia araliifolia, commonly known as the red oak, red silky oak, Caledonian oak or elephant's foot, is the sole species in the monotypic genus Carnarvonia, a member of the Proteaceae plant family. It is endemic to the rainforests of northeastern Queensland.
The red oak is a large tree growing to 30 m (98 ft) or more in height, and it may have small rounded buttress roots. These may give the lower trunk the appearance of an elephant's foot, and are the source of one of the common names for the species. [5] [6] The trunk bears numerous, closely spaced small lenticels. [7]
The large leaves are pedately compound and highly variable, having anything from 3 to 20 leaflets. [5] [7] [8] They range in size from 5 to 50 cm (2 to 20 in) long, including the petiole. [5] [7] [8] The leaves are arranged alternately on the branches. [5] [8]
The inflorescence is a panicle, produced either terminally, in the leaf axils, directly from the branches, or on the trunk. They develop between November and May. [5]
The fruit is a woody follicle measuring up to 5 cm (2 in) long by 2.1 cm (0.8 in) wide, with the pedicel attached at one side. [5] [7] [8] [9] They contain one or two winged seeds up to 45 mm (1.8 in) long overall. [5] [8]
This species was first described by the German-born Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller, from a specimen collected by John Dallachy in the forested mountains around Rockingham's Bay in Far North Queensland. He published the description in volume 6 of his massive work Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae in 1867. [3] [7] [10]
In 1995 the Australian botanist Bernard Hyland described a new variety of the species, C. a. var. montana, which was published in Flora of Australia volume 16. His description was based on a specimen he collected himself in 1972 [9]
The species has been placed in the subfamily Grevilleoideae because its cotyledons have auricles, which is unique to the subfamily. [11]
The genus name Carnarvonia was given by Mueller to honour Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, the Fourth Earl of Carnarvon. [5] The species epithet araliifolia is a combination of the genus Aralia and the Latin word folium, "leaf", and refers to the similarity of the leaves to those of some Aralia species. [5]
The variety C. a. araliifolia is native to the coastal rainforests of north-eastern Queensland, from Cooktown south to Ingham, and from near sea level up to about 1,000 m (3,280 ft). [7] [8] The other, C. a. monticola, has a smaller range from the Windsor Tablelands in the north to the southern edge of the Atherton Tablelands, and in altitudes from 650 to 1,200 m (2,130 to 3,940 ft). Both varieties grow in well developed rainforest [7] [8] [9]
The fruits are eaten by Sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) and cassowaries (Casuarius casuarius). [5] [7]
This species is listed by both the Queensland Department of Environment and Science and the IUCN as least concern. [1] [2]
The timber of C. araliifolia has a rich red colour and is hard wearing. It has been used in house construction, especially for polished floors. [7]
Flindersia ifflana, commonly known as hickory ash or Cairns hickory, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to Papua New Guinea and Queensland. It has pinnate leaves with between four and twelve egg-shaped to elliptical leaflets, panicles of white or cream-coloured flowers and woody fruit studded with rough points.
Melicope elleryana, commonly known as pink flowered doughwood, pink evodia, corkwood, or saruwa, is a species of rainforest shrub or tree in the family Rutaceae, and is native to New Guinea, parts of eastern Indonesia, the Solomon Islands and northern Australia. It has trifoliate leaves and pink to white, bisexual flowers arranged in panicles in leaf axils.
Phaleria clerodendron, commonly known as scented daphne, scented phaleria or rosy apple, is an evergreen tree or tall shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae. It is endemic to the rainforests of north-eastern Queensland, Australia.
Buckinghamia celsissima, commonly known as the ivory curl tree, ivory curl flower or spotted silky oak, is a species of tree in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to the tropical rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Toechima daemelianum, commonly known as cape tamarind, is an evergreen tree from north-east Queensland in Australia. It grows up to 13 metres high and a trunk which may be up to 20 cm wide.
Melicope bonwickii, commonly known as the yellow evodia or yellow corkwood, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to Java and the Philippines, and southward to New Guinea and north-eastern Australia. It has trifoliate leaves and small pink flowers borne in panicles in leaf axils.
Hornstedtia scottiana, common known as Scott's ginger, jiddo, or native cardamom, is a very large ginger native to Queensland, New Guinea and the Maluku Islands. Its fruits are eaten by the cassowary. It is also a food plant for the larval stages of the Banded Demon Butterfly.
Scaevola enantophylla, commonly known as climbing fan-flower,is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a scrambling vine with yellow fan-shaped flowers, and the only species in the genus with leaves arranged opposite.
Acronychia acronychioides, commonly known as white aspen, is a species of small to medium-sized rainforest tree that is endemic to north-eastern Queensland. It has trifoliate leaves with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves on stems that are more or less cylindrical, creamy yellow flowers in large groups in leaf axils and fleshy, pear-shaped or spherical fruit.
Acronychia vestita, commonly known as white aspen, lemon aspen, hairy aspen or fuzzy lemon aspen, is a species of rainforest tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has simple, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, flowers arranged in relatively large groups, mostly in leaf axils and fleshy, pear-shaped to more or less spherical fruit.
Bouchardatia neurococca, commonly known as union nut, is a species of small rainforest tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves with three or five narrow elliptical leaflets, white flowers arranged in panicles, and oval follicles.
Medicosma fareana, commonly known as white aspen, is a species of rainforest small tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to north Queensland. It has elliptical leaves and white or cream-coloured flowers borne singly or in small groups in leaf axils.
Melicope xanthoxyloides is a species of small tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to New Guinea and Queensland. It has trifoliate leaves and small green to yellow or cream-coloured flowers arranged in panicles in leaf axils.
Elaeocarpus ruminatus, commonly known as brown quandong, caloon or grey quandong, is a species of flowering plant in the family Elaeocarpaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a tree with buttress roots at the base of the trunk, mostly more or less elliptic leaves, cream-coloured flowers with five petals that sometimes have a divided tip, and more or less spherical fruit.
Cyperus decompositus is a species of sedge that is endemic to north eastern Australia.
Argophyllum lejourdanii is a plant in the Argophyllaceae family endemic to a part of north eastern Queensland, Australia. It was described and named in 1863.
Xanthophyllum octandrum, commonly known as Macintyre's boxwood, false jitta, yellow boxwood or sovereignwood, is a slow-growing tree in the milkwort family Polygalaceae which has the potential to reach thousands of years of age. It is endemic to coastal northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Archidendron vaillantii, commonly known as the salmon bean, is an evergreen tree in the legume family Fabaceae. It is endemic to the rainforests of northeast Queensland.
Benstonea monticola, commonly known as scrub breadfruit or urchin-fruited pandan, is a plant in the family Pandanaceae which is endemic to rainforested parts of north east Queensland, Australia.
Diploglottis diphyllostegia, commonly known as the northern tamarind, native tamarind or wild tamarind, is a tree in the lychee family Sapindaceae which is endemic to Queensland, Australia. It is an attractive tree with potential in cultivation, with a dense crown of dark green leaves and masses of fruit in spring and summer.
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