Gossia acmenoides

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Scrub ironwood
Gossia acmenoides Burraga Swamp.jpg
Scrub ironwood at Barrington Tops National Park, Australia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Gossia
Species:
G. acmenoides
Binomial name
Gossia acmenoides
Synonyms

Gossia acmenoides, known as the scrub ironwood, is a rainforest tree of the family Myrtaceae, native to eastern Australia. The usual habitat of this small tree is drier rainforest areas. The range of natural distribution is from Jamberoo in New South Wales to Eungella National Park in northern Queensland. [1]

Contents

The generic name Gossia refers to the former premier of Queensland, Wayne Goss, who was a champion of conservation. The specific epithet acmenoides means that this type of tree resembles plants of the genus Acmena (many of which have been transferred to the genus Syzygium ). The leaves of this plant resemble the lillypilly Syzygium smithii . [1]

Taxonomy

The species was first described in 1859 as Myrtus acmenoides by Ferdinand von Mueller, [2] [3] but was transferred in 2003 to the genus, Gossia, by Neil Snow, Gordon Guymer and Sawvel. [2] [4]

Description

Scrub ironwood is a small-sized tree or shrub, usually around 8 metres (25 ft) tall. The trunk is often multi-stemmed and crooked. The largest individuals are around 20 metres (60 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of 30 cm (12 in). The trunk is mostly not cylindrical, and the fawn-coloured bark is smooth and pale, showing occasional darker chocolate-coloured patches on the trunk. The outer bark has thin, paper-like fragments, while the branchlets are smooth and brown. [1]

Leaves are opposite on the stem, simple and not toothed, 2.5 to 7.5 cm (1–3 in) long, and 1 to 3.5 cm (0.4-1.4 in) wide. Oil dots are few, but large and irregularly scattered and are visible by a lens or the naked eye. [5] The mid rib is raised on the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf. A distinct intramarginal vein can be seen around the edge of the leaf. [1]

Small white flowers appear from November to April. The fruit is a small black berry, with three to five seeds, maturing from February to April. Regeneration from seeds or cuttings is not easily achieved. [1]

Related Research Articles

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

Backhousia is a genus of thirteen currently known species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. All the currently known species are endemic to Australia in the rainforests and seasonally dry forests of Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia.

<i>Syzygium smithii</i> Species of tree

Syzygium smithii is a summer-flowering, winter-fruiting evergreen tree, native to Australia and belonging to the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It shares the common name "lilly pilly" with several other plants. It is planted as shrubs or hedgerows, and features: rough, woody bark; cream and green smooth, waxy leaves; flushes of pink new growth; and white to maroon edible berries. Unpruned, it will grow about 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft) tall in the garden.

<i>Lenwebbia</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae

Lenwebbia is a genus of shrubs or small trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. The type species is Lenwebbia lasioclada.

<i>Gossia bidwillii</i> Species of tree

Gossia bidwillii, known as the python tree is a rainforest myrtle of eastern Australia. The usual habitat is the drier rainforest areas. The range of natural distribution is from the Hunter River in New South Wales to Coen in far northern Queensland.

<i>Syzygium ingens</i> Species of tree

Syzygium ingens, commonly known as red apple, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a medium-sized to tall rainforest tree with narrow elliptic to oblong leaves and panicles of white flowers on the ends of branchlets, followed by spherical red berries.

<i>Syzygium hodgkinsoniae</i> Species of tree

Syzygium hodgkinsoniae is a rare subtropical rainforest tree, growing on alluvial soils by streams in the north east New South Wales and south east Queensland, Australia. The range of natural distribution is from the Richmond River, New South Wales to Gympie in south east Queensland. Common names include smooth-bark rose apple or red lilly pilly.

<i>Syzygium hemilamprum</i> Species of tree

Syzygium hemilamprum, commonly known as the broad-leaved lilly pilly, blush satinash, cassowary gum, Eungella gum, and treated as Acmena hemilampra in New South Wales and Queensland, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is native to New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. It is a rainforest tree with broadly lance-shaped to elliptic leaves, panicles of white flowers and more or less spherical white fruit.

<i>Backhousia subargentea</i> Species of tree

Backhousia subargentea is a rare Australian rainforest tree, growing near Mullumbimby in northeastern New South Wales and from Boonah to Imbil in southeastern Queensland.

<i>Bridelia exaltata</i> Species of tree

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, and also 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.

<i>Gossia</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae

Gossia is a genus of rainforest trees in the myrtle family first described as a genus in 2003 by Neil Snow, Gordon Guymer and Sawvel. It is native to northeastern Australia as well as several islands of Papuasia and New Caledonia.

<i>Baloghia marmorata</i> Species of tree

Baloghia marmorata is a rare rainforest plant of eastern Australia. It is commonly known as the marbled baloghia.

<i>Decaspermum humile</i> Species of tree

Decaspermum humile, commonly known as the silky myrtle, is a tree from Australia and Asia. It can be used as bush food, as indicated by the alternate common name of currant myrtle. The tree features an attractive dark glossy crown. The new pink leaves with silvery hairs are particularly appealing.

<i>Gossia fragrantissima</i> Species of tree

Gossia fragrantissima, the sweet myrtle or small-leaved myrtle, is a shrub or small tree of eastern Australia. A plant with a ROTAP rating of 3EC-, endangered by extinction. Found in sub tropical rainforests near streams, from near Woodburn, New South Wales to Nambour in south eastern Queensland. It features fragrant flowers, hence the specific epithet fragrantissima. White flowers grow from October to February.

<i>Syzygium cormiflorum</i> Species of tree in the family Myrtaceae endemic to Queensland

Syzygium cormiflorum, commonly known as the bumpy satinash, is a species of Syzygium tree endemic to Queensland in northeastern Australia.

<i>Lithomyrtus</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae

Lithomyrtus is a genus of small trees and shrubs in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. There are 11 species, native to the tropics of northern Australia and New Guinea:

<i>Syzygium alliiligneum</i> Species of plant in the family Myrtaceae

Syzygium alliiligneum, commonly known as onionwood, Mission Beach satinash or bark in the wood is a species of plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to a small part of north eastern Queensland.

<i>Gossia floribunda</i> Species of flowering plant

Gossia floribunda or Cape ironwood species of plant in the Myrtaceae family. It is a understorey plant growing to a height of 1 to 6 m. Found in Cape York Peninsula Australia and also in New Guinea. Small white flowers form in abundance.

<i>Gossia pubiflora</i> Species of tree

Gossia pubiflora is a species of plant in the family Myrtaceae that is endemic to coastal central east Queensland. It is a shrub or small tree that grows to a height of 1 to 6 m tall.

<i>Gossia gonoclada</i> Species of tree in the Myrtle family

Gossia gonoclada, known as the square-stemmed or angle-stemmed myrtle for the distinctive four raised corners on the angled branchlets, is a rainforest tree of the family Myrtaceae, native to south-east Queensland, Australia. It is an endangered species.

<i>Syzygium maraca</i> Species of flowering plant

Syzygium maraca is a plant in the clove family Myrtaceae found only in the Wet Tropics bioregion of Queensland, Australia. It was first described in 2005 and has been given the conservation status of least concern. It has an affinity with Syzygium alliiligneum.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Floyd, A. G. (2008). Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia (2nd, Revised ed.). Lismore, New South Wales: Terania Rainforest Publishing. p. 243. ISBN   978-0-958943-67-3 . Retrieved 2010-03-26.
  2. 1 2 "Gossia acmenoides". Australian Plant Name Index, IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  3. Mueller, F.J.H. von (1859), Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 1(4): 77
  4. Neil Snow; Gordon P. Guymer; G. Sawvel (2003). "Systematics of Austromyrtus, Lenwebbia, and the Australian Species of Gossia (Myrtaceae)". Systematic Botany Monographs. 65: 1-95 [45-47, Fig. 12]. doi:10.2307/25027907. ISSN   0737-8211. JSTOR   25027907. Wikidata   Q55767955.
  5. "Gossia acmenoides". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Retrieved 2010-03-26.