| Red beech | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Dilleniales |
| Family: | Dilleniaceae |
| Genus: | Dillenia |
| Species: | D. alata |
| Binomial name | |
| Dillenia alata | |
| Synonyms [3] | |
| |
Dillenia alata, commonly known as red beech, golden guinea flower or golden guinea tree, is a tree in the Dilleniaceae family, found in tropical forests of the Moluccas, New Guinea, and northern Australia. [3] [4]
Dillenia alata is a medium-sized tree, growing to 10–15 m (33–49 ft) with a dense shady crown and distinctive reddish brown, papery, flaky bark. [5] [6] The leaves are glossy dark green and rather large, measuring up to 25 cm (9.8 in) long and 12 cm (4.7 in) wide, with a broadly-winged petiole (leaf stalk) that sheaths the twig. [4] [5] [6]
The inflorescence is a raceme of 2-4 flowers borne on the twigs, [7] either terminally or more or less opposed to the leaves. The flowers are about 8 cm (3.1 in) across with five yellow petals and a prominent cluster of numerous pinkish-red stamens at the centre. [4] [5] [6]
Fruits are a red dehiscent capsule with a persistent green calyx and up to 8 valves (segments of the ovary) which open widely on maturity, [5] [6] revealing a number of 4 mm (0.16 in) black seeds enclosed in a waxy white aril. [5] [6] [7]
The species was originally named Wormia alata by the Scottish botanist Robert Brown, and later formally described in 1817 by the Swiss botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. [8] [9] His description was based on plant material collected by Joseph Banks at Point Lookout, Endeavour River, during James Cook's first voyage of discovery in 1770. [4]
The species was transferred to the genus Dillenia by Italian botanist Ugolino Martelli in 1886. [10] [11]
The genus name Dillenia was given in honour of the German-born botanist Johann Jacob Dillenius. [5] [12] The species epithet, alata, is derived from the Latin āla and means "winged", referring to the winged petioles. [5] [13]
The species is native to the Maluku Islands, New Guinea, and the Torres Strait islands, the Northern Territory, and Queensland in Australia. [3] [4] [5] [7] It usually grows in rainforest but may be found in monsoon forest and even open forest (in wet situations). [4] [5]
It has been observed at up to 600 m (2,000 ft) in altitude but is more common in lowland forests, particularly on coastal lowlands. [4] [7]
This species is host to the Queensland moth Pollanisus commoni, [14] and the fruits are eaten by the Eclectus parrot. [5]
D. alata is assessed as least concern by the IUCN, the Northern Territory Government and the Queensland Government. [1] [7] [15]
This species has "considerable horticultural merit", [4] and the Australian botanist David L. Jones, in his book Rainforest Plants of Australia, said "A striking ornamental, common along stream banks and in swampy soils. The leaves, bark, flowers and fruit are all highly decorative features". [6]
Dillenia is a genus of flowering evergreen or semi-evergreen trees and shrubs in the family Dilleniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of southern Asia, Australasia, and the Indian Ocean islands.
Pleiogynium timoriense, commonly known as the Burdekin plum, sweet plum, tulip plum, or in the Djabugay language guybalum is a medium-sized fruit-bearing tree in the family Anacardiaceae native to Malesia, Australia and the Pacific Islands.
Hibbertia dentata, commonly known as toothed guinea flower, trailing guinea flower or twining guinea flower, is an ornamental plant in the family Dilleniaceae native to the east coast of Australia. Found in woodland, it is a trailing or twining vine with leaves with several small 'teeth' on the margins and bright yellow flowers in early spring. It adapts readily to cultivation and can be grown as a pot plant. The species was first described in 1817.
Hibbertia scandens, sometimes known by the common names snake vine, climbing guinea flower and golden guinea vine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is climber or scrambler with lance-shaped or egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow flowers with more than thirty stamens arranged around between three and seven glabrous carpels.
Normanbya is a monotypic genus of palms containing the single species Normanbya normanbyi, which is known by the common name black palm It is endemic to Queensland, Australia and is threatened by habitat destruction.
Alpinia caerulea, commonly known as native ginger or Australian ginger, is an understorey perennial herb in the family Zingiberaceae which grows in rainforest, gallery forest and wet sclerophyll forest in eastern Australia.
Semecarpus australiensis, commonly known as the tar tree, native cashew, marking nut, or cedar plum, is a species of tree in the cashew, sumac and mango family Anacardiaceae, native to parts of Melanesia and northern Australia. Contact with the plant can cause serious allergic reactions, a common characteristic of this family.
Elaeocarpus bancroftii, commonly known as Kuranda quandong, Johnstone River almond, ebony heart, grey nut, or nut tree is a large rainforest tree in the family Elaeocarpaceae which is endemic to Queensland. It has coriaceous leaves, attractive white flowers and relatively large fruit containing an edible kernel.
Atractocarpus fitzalanii, commonly known as the brown gardenia or yellow mangosteen, is a species of plant in the coffee and madder family Rubiaceae. It is found in coastal parts of tropical Queensland, Australia. The beautifully scented flowers and glossy foliage has seen this plant enter cultivation in gardens of eastern Australia.
Hibbertia aspera, commonly known as rough guinea flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an ascending or erect shrub with low-lying or scrambling branches, oblong to lance-shaped or egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow flowers with four to six stamens in a single group, joined at the base.
Dysoxylum pettigrewianum, commonly known as spur mahogany, spurwood, or Cairns satinwood, is a large tree in the family Meliaceae. It is native to the rainforests of Malesia, Papuasia and Queensland. In Queensland it occurs only in a small part of the northeast coast.
Dysoxylum arborescens, commonly known in Australia as Mossman mahogany, is a small tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is native to rainforests of Malesia, Papuasia, Queensland and nearby islands.
Dysoxylum parasiticum, commonly known as yellow mahogany, is a species of rainforest tree in the family Meliaceae native to Taiwan, parts of Malesia, Papuasia, and northeast Queensland.
Dysoxylum gaudichaudianum, commonly known as ivory mahogany, is a species of rainforest tree in the family Meliaceae, native to Malesia, Queensland, and some southwest Pacific islands.
Hibbertia diffusa, commonly known as wedge guinea flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a prostrate to low-lying shrub with glabrous stems, egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and bright yellow flowers arranged on the ends of branchlets, with twenty to twenty-five stamens arranged around two or three carpels.
Gardenia actinocarpa is a rare and endangered plant in the madder family Rubiaceae that grows in a very restricted area within the Wet Tropics rainforest of north-east Queensland.
Myristica insipida, commonly known in Australia as Australian nutmeg, Queensland nutmeg or native nutmeg, is a small rainforest tree in the family Myristicaceae native to parts of Malesia, Papuasia and Australia. It is closely related to the commercially-important species of nutmeg, M. fragrans.
Harpullia ramiflora, commonly known as the Claudie tulipwood or Cape York tulipwood, is a tree in the Sapindaceae family native to north east Queensland, New Guinea and parts of Malesia.
Alstonia muelleriana is a tree in the dogbane family Apocynaceae which is native to southern Papua New Guinea and northeastern Queensland.
Pittosporum ferrugineum, commonly known as the rusty pittosporum or rusty-leaved pittosporum, is an evergreen plant in the family Pittosporaceae native to Malesia, Papuasia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.
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Data related to Dillenia alata at Wikispecies
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