Flindersia maculosa

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Leopardwood
Flindersia maculosa habitii.jpg
Flindersia maculosa
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Flindersia
Species:
F. maculosa
Binomial name
Flindersia maculosa
Synonyms [1]
Flowers Flindersia maculosa flowers.jpg
Flowers
Fruit Flindersia maculosa fruit.jpg
Fruit

Flindersia maculosa, commonly known as leopardwood or leopard tree, [2] is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to inland areas of eastern Australia. It has mottled bark, simple leaves arranged in opposite pairs, white to cream-coloured flowers and fruit studded with rough points.

Contents

Description

Flindersia maculosa is a tree that typically grows to a height of 15 m (49 ft), developing from a tangled mass of spiny branches in the juvenile stage. The trunk is mottled due to the bark shedding in patches. The leaves are simple, arranged in opposite pairs, narrow oblong to lance-shaped or linear, 10–80 mm (0.39–3.15 in) long and 2.5–10 mm (0.098–0.394 in) wide on a petiole 2–15 mm (0.079–0.591 in) long. The upper surface of the leaf is shiny and dark green, the lower side dull and paler. The flowers are arranged in panicles 10–80 mm (0.39–3.15 in) long on the ends of branchlets. The sepals are 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long, the petals white to cream-coloured and 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long. Flowering occurs from September to December and the fruit is a woody capsule studded with rough points and that opens into five section, releasing winged seeds about 18 mm (0.71 in) long. [2] [3]

Taxonomy

Leopardwood was first formally described in 1848 by John Lindley in Thomas Mitchell's Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia. [4] In 1963, George Bentham changed the name to Flindersia maculosa in Flora Australiensis . [5] [6]

Distribution and habitat

Flindersia maculosa grows on stony hills and sand plains from Hughenden in central Queensland to the Riverina district in south-western New South Wales and from Walgett to Ivanhoe and Broken Hill in that state. [2] [3]

Uses

Leopardwood is a useful fodder tree in drought periods but as the tree does not recuperate well, it should only be pollarded. [7] The wood of the tree is sometimes used to construct fence posts and pick handles. [8]

Nectar from the buds and gum from the bark have been used to make a sweet drink. [9] The drink from the gum has been used as a remedy for diarrhea. [10]

Ecology

Larvae of the moth Opodiphthera astrophela feed on the leopardwood tree. [11] An unidentified beetle in the genus Anilara can cause serious damage to the leopardwood tree. [12] The mistletoe Amyema lucasii grows almost exclusively on the F. maculosa. [13]

Conservation status

Flindersia maculosa is classified as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992 . [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Flindersia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Flindersia is a genus of 17 species of small to large trees in the family Rutaceae. They have simple or pinnate leaves, flowers arranged in panicles at or near the ends of branchlets and fruit that is a woody capsule containing winged seeds. They grow naturally in Australia, the Moluccas, New Guinea and New Caledonia.

<i>Flindersia ifflana</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

Flindersia laevicarpa, commonly known in Australia as rose ash, scented maple or dirran maple, is a species of medium-sized to large tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to Papua New Guinea, West Papua and Queensland. It has pinnate leaves with four to eight egg-shaped to elliptical leaflets, panicles of cream-coloured, yellowish, red or purple flowers and smooth woody fruit that split into five at maturity, releasing winged seeds.

<i>Eucalyptus michaeliana</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus michaeliana, commonly known as Hillgrove gum or brittle gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth mottled greyish bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in compound umbels, white flowers and cup-shaped or barrel-shaped fruit.

<i>Flindersia brayleyana</i> Species of tree

Flindersia brayleyana, commonly known as Queensland maple, maple silkwood or red beech, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to northern Queensland. It has pinnate leaves with between six and ten leaflets, panicles of white or cream-coloured flowers and smooth fruit that opens in five sections to release winged seeds.

<i>Corymbia dallachiana</i> Species of plant

Corymbia dallachiana commonly known as Dallachy's ghost gum or Dallachy's gum, is a species of tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of three, white flowers and cup-shaped, cylindrical or barrel-shaped fruit.

<i>Pentaceras</i> Genus of trees

Pentaceras australe, commonly known as bastard crow's ash, penta ash or black teak, is the only species in the genus Pentaceras in the plant family Rutaceae. It is a small to medium-sized rainforest tree endemic to eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves with up to fifteen leaflets, small white flowers arranged in panicles on the ends of branchlets, and winged seeds.

<i>Flindersia collina</i> Species of tree

Flindersia collina, commonly known as broad-leaved leopard tree, leopard ash, bastard crow's ash or leatherwood, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to north-eastern Australia. It usually has pinnate leaves with between three and seven elliptical to spatula-shaped leaves, panicles of white flowers and fruit studded with rough points.

<i>Zieria aspalathoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria aspalathoides, commonly known as the whorled zieria, heath zieria, hairy zieria or heathy zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a heath-like shrub with leaves that appear to be whorled and with pink flowers in groups of three, each with four petals and four stamens.

<i>Flindersia xanthoxyla</i> Species of flowering plant

Flindersia xanthoxyla, commonly known as yellowwood, long jack or yellowwood ash, is a species of rainforest tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves arranged in opposite pairs with seven to eleven leaflets, panicles of yellow flowers and woody fruit studded with rough points on the surface.

<i>Flindersia bennettii</i> Species of tree

Flindersia bennettii, commonly known as Bennett's ash, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to north-eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves with between three and nine leaflets, cream-coloured flowers arranged on the ends of branchlets and woody fruit containing winged seeds.

<i>Eucalyptus leptopoda</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus leptopoda, commonly known as the Tammin mallee or Merredin mallee, is a species of mallee or rarely a tree, that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth mottled grey or brownish bark, sometimes with rough bark near the base, linear to curved adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of seven and eleven, creamy white flowers and hemispherical to flattened spherical fruit.

<i>Allocasuarina decussata</i> Species of tree

Allocasuarina decussata, commonly known as karri oak or karri she-oak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an understory tree in karri forest but also occurs as a stunted shrub in places like Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Range.

<i>Melaleuca foliolosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca foliolosa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to northern Queensland in Australia. It is distinguished by it very small leaves which are pressed against the stem and almost overlap each other.

<i>Corymbia grandifolia</i> Species of plant

Corymbia grandifolia, commonly known as cabbage gum, large-leaved cabbage gum and paper-fruited bloodwood, is a species of tree that is endemic to northern Australia. It has smooth bark, egg-shaped to broadly elliptic to lance-shaped adult leaves, flowers buds in groups of three or seven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to cylindrical fruit.

<i>Corymbia peltata</i> Species of plant

Corymbia peltata, commonly known as yellowjacket or rustyjacket, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has rough, tessellated bark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth yellowish bark above, a crown of mostly juvenile egg-shaped to round leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and barrel-shaped, urn-shaped or shortened spherical fruit.

<i>Boronia falcifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia falcifolia, commonly known as the wallum boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas of eastern Australia. It is a shrub with only a few stems, usually three-part leaves and bright pink, four-petalled flowers.

<i>Flindersia acuminata</i> Species of tree

Flindersia acuminata, commonly known as silver silkwood, icewood, Putt's pine, Paddy King's beech or silver maple, is a species of tree that has pinnate leaves with between six and ten egg-shaped to elliptic leaflets, creamy yellow flowers arranged in panicles, and fruit studded with short, rough points.

<i>Flindersia brassii</i> Species of tree

Flindersia brassii, commonly known as hard scented maple or Claudie River scented maple, is a species of tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has pinnate leaves with between four and nine narrow elliptical leaflets, white or cream-coloured flowers arranged in panicles, and fruit studded with rough points.

<i>Flindersia dissosperma</i> Species of tree

Flindersia dissosperma, commonly known as scrub leopardwood, is a species of small tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern-central Queensland. It usually has pinnate leaves with between three and five elliptical to egg-shaped leaves, panicles of white to cream-coloured flowers and fruit studded with rough points.

References

  1. 1 2 "Flindersia maculosa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Porteners, Marianne F. "Flindersia maculosa". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 Hartley, Thomas G.; Wilson, Annette J.G. (ed.) (2013). Flora of Australia (Volume 26). Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study. pp. 70–71. Retrieved 17 July 2020.{{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
  4. "Elaeodendron maculosum". APNI. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  5. "Flindersia maculosa". APNI. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  6. Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1863). Flora Australiensis (Volume 1). Vol. 1. London: Lovell Reeve & Co. pp. 389–390. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  7. "Some native Australian fodder plants". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 25 January 1912. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  8. "Flindersia maculosa (Family Rutaceae)". Species Bank. Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Commonwealth of Australia.
  9. "Bush foods: Talking about plants". Archived from the original on 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
  10. "Native Australian Plants with Medicinal Uses". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28.
  11. "Opodiphthera astrophela (Walker, 1855)". Archived from the original on 2005-07-18.
  12. Trevor J. Hawkeswood. "Review of the biology of the genus Anilara Saunders, 1868 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-08.
  13. Quirico, Anna-Louise. "Amyema lucasii". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  14. "Species profile—Flindersia maculosa (leopardwood)". Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science. Retrieved 17 July 2020.