Flindersia oppositifolia

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Mountain silkwood
Flindersia oppositifolia.jpg
Near Atherton
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Flindersia
Species:
F. oppositifolia
Binomial name
Flindersia oppositifolia
Synonyms [1]
  • Flindersia pimenteliana f. oppositifolia(F.Muell.) K.D.Scott, W.K.Harris & Playford
  • Flindersia unifoliolataT.G.Hartley
  • Hypsophila oppositifoliaF.Muell.

Flindersia oppositifolia, commonly known as mountain silkwood, [2] is a species of tree that is endemic to the Bellenden Ker Range in northern Queensland. It has simple leaves arranged more or less in opposite pairs, dark reddish flowers arranged in panicles, and fruit studded with short, rough points.

Contents

Description

Flindersia oppositifolia is a tree that typically grows to a height of 30 m (98 ft). Its leaves are simple, arranged more or less in opposite pairs, egg-shaped to elliptical, 30–120 mm (1.2–4.7 in) long and 14–32 mm (0.55–1.26 in) wide on a petiole 5–25 mm (0.20–0.98 in) long. The flowers are arranged in panicles 30–90 mm (1.2–3.5 in) long and have five sepals 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long and five dark reddish petals 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) long. Flowering occurs from October to November and the fruit is a woody capsule 75–80 mm (3.0–3.1 in) long studded with short, rough points, and separating into five at maturity, releasing winged seeds 35–40 mm (1.4–1.6 in) long. [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Mountain silkwood was first formally described in 1892 by Ferdinand von Mueller who gave it the name Hypsophila oppositifolia and published the description in The Victorian Naturalist from material collected on Mount Bartle Frere. [5] [6] In 1982, Thomas Hartley and Laurence Jessup changed the name to Flindersia oppositifolia in the journal Brunonia. [7]

Distribution and habitat

Mountain silkwood grows in rainforest at altitudes of 1,300 to 1,500 m (4,300 to 4,900 ft) and is only known from the Bellenden Ker Range in north Queensland. [3] [4]

Conservation status

Flindersia oppositifolia is classified as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992 . [2]

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>Flindersia pimenteliana</i> Species of flowering plant

Flindersia pimenteliana, commonly known as maple silkwood, red beech or rose silkwood, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to New Guinea and Queensland. It has pinnate leaves with three to seven egg-shaped to elliptic leaflets, panicles of red or reddish flowers and fruit studded with rough points.

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

Flindersia schottiana, commonly known as bumpy ash, cudgerie or silver ash, is a species of rainforest tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to New Guinea and eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves with mostly ten to sixteen leaflets, panicles of white flowers and woody fruit studded with rough points.

<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>Flindersia australis</i> Species of tree

Flindersia australis, commonly known as crow's ash, flindosy or Australian teak, is a species of tree that is endemic to north-eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves with between five and thirteen egg-shaped to elliptical leaflets, white to cream-coloured flowers arranged in panicles on the ends of branchlets and followed by woody capsules studded with short, rough points and containing winged seeds.

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

Flindersia maculosa, commonly known as leopardwood or leopard tree, 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.

<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>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>Leptospermum wooroonooran</i> Species of tree

Leptospermum wooroonooran, commonly known as wurunuru or mountain teatree, is a species of stunted tree that is endemic to Queensland where it grows on exposed mountain ridges. It has thin, fibrous or flaky bark, lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, white flowers arranged singly on short side shoots and fruit remain on the plant at maturity.

<i>Acronychia chooreechillum</i> Species of flowering plant

Acronychia chooreechillum, commonly known as mountain aspen, is a species of shrub or small rainforest tree that is endemic to north-eastern Queensland. It has mostly trifoliate leaves with elliptic to egg-shaped leaflets on stems that are more or less cylindrical, flowers in small groups in leaf axils and fleshy, egg-shaped or elliptical fruit.

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

Dinosperma is a genus of plant containing the single species Dinosperma erythrococcum, commonly known as tingletongue, clubwood or nutmeg, and is endemic to north-eastern Australia. It is a tree usually with trifoliate leaves arranged in opposite pairs, the leaflets lance-shaped to oblong, and panicles of small white flowers, later bright orange to red, slightly fleshy follicles containing shiny, bluish black seeds.

<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 bourjotiana</i> Species of tree

Flindersia bourjotiana, commonly known as Queensland silver ash, northern silver ash, or white ash, is a species of tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has pinnate leaves arranged in opposite pairs and with between four and eight narrow egg-shaped to elliptic leaflets, greenish white 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.

<i>Melicope broadbentiana</i> Species of shrub

Melicope broadbentiana, commonly known as false euodia, is a species of shrub or tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It has simple leaves, trifoliate leaves or both, and small white flowers borne in short panicles in leaf axils.

<i>Melicope xanthoxyloides</i> Species of tree

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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Flindersia oppositifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Species profile—Flindersia oppositifolia (mountain silkwood)". Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 Hartley, Thomas G.; Wilson, Annette J.G. (ed.) (2013). Flora of Australia (Volume 26). Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study. p. 66. Retrieved 18 July 2020.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. 1 2 F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Flindersia oppositifolia". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government . Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  5. "Hypsophila oppositifolia". APNI. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  6. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1892). "Descriptions of new Australian plants, with occasional other annotations". The Victorian Naturalist. 9 (1): 11. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  7. "Flindersia oppositifolia". APNI. Retrieved 18 July 2020.