Melicope littoralis

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Shade tree
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Melicope
Species:
M. littoralis
Binomial name
Melicope littoralis
Synonyms [1]
  • Euodia contermina(C.Moore & F.Muell.) (C.Moore & F.Muell.)

Melicope littoralis , commonly known as shade tree, [2] is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Norfolk Island. It has trifoliate leaves and small white flowers borne in leaf axils in panicles of a few to many flowers.

Contents

Description

Melicope littoralis is a shrub or tree that typically grows to a height of 4–5 m (13–16 ft). It has mostly trifoliate leaves arranged in opposite pairs and 130–350 mm (5.1–13.8 in) long on a petiole 3–10 mm (0.12–0.39 in) long, the leaflets elliptical to egg-shaped, 100–240 mm (3.9–9.4 in) long and 60–130 mm (2.4–5.1 in) wide. The flowers are arranged in groups of a few to many, in panicles 20–160 mm (0.79–6.30 in) long and 15–60 mm (0.59–2.36 in) wide on a peduncle 10–80 mm (0.39–3.15 in) long. The flowers are borne on pedicels 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long, the sepals egg-shaped, 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long and joined at the base, the petals white, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and there are four stamens. The fruit consists of up to four follicles up to 12 mm (0.47 in) long and fused at the base, the seeds about 6 mm (0.24 in) long. [3]

Taxonomy

The shade tree was first formally described in 1833 by Stephan Endlicher who gave it the name Euodia littoralis and published the description in his book Prodromus Florae Norfolkicae. [3] [4] [5] In 2001, Thomas Gordon Hartley changed the name to Melicope littoralis in the journal Allertonia. [6]

Distribution and habitat

This species is endemic to Norfolk Island where it grows in coastal and inland forest. It is most often seen in the Norfolk Island National Park. [3] [7]

Conservation status

Melicope littoralis is listed as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 . [8]

Related Research Articles

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

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.

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

Melicope micrococca, commonly known as hairy-leaved doughwood or white euodia, is a species of shrub or slender tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It has trifoliate leaves and white flowers borne in panicles in leaf axils.

Bulbophyllum argyropus, commonly known as the silver strand orchid, is a species of epiphytic or sometimes lithophytic orchid that is endemic to eastern Australia, including Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. It has crowded pseudobulbs, tough, dark green leaves and up to four small whitish to yellowish flowers with an orange labellum.

<i>Sarcomelicope simplicifolia</i> Species of tree

Sarcomelicope simplicifolia, commonly known as bauerella, hard aspen or yellow-wood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia including Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. It is a shrub or small tree with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves arranged in opposite pairs, male or female flowers arranged in small groups in leaf axils and fruit an oval to spherical drupe.

Dendrobium macropus, commonly known as the Norfolk Island cane orchid, is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid in the family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Norfolk Island. It has cylindrical pseudobulbs, thin, dark green leaves and between five and ten yellowish green flowers that do not open widely.

Dendrobium brachypus, commonly known as the dwarf cane orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid in the family Orchidaceae. It has crowded, yellowish green pseudobulbs, dark green leaves and two or three cream-coloured to whitish or greenish flowers which often do not open fully. It grows on trees and rocks on one mountain on Norfolk Island.

Melicope contermina is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Lord Howe Island. It has trifoliate leaves and white flowers borne in leaf axils in panicles of nine to fifteen flowers.

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

Melicope polybotrya is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Lord Howe Island. It has trifoliate leaves and green flowers borne in short panicles in leaf axils.

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

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.

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

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.

<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.

Melicope affinis is a species of shrub or tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It has trifoliate leaves and small greenish white flowers borne in panicles in leaf axils.

<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.

Melicope fellii is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It has trifoliate leaves and pink flowers borne in short panicles in leaf axils.

Melicope hayesii, commonly known as small-leaved doughwood, is a species of shrub or slender tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It has trifoliate leaves and small white flowers borne in panicles in leaf axils.

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

Melicope jonesii is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to north-east Queensland. It has trifoliate leaves and greenish or cream-coloured flowers borne in short panicles in leaf axils.

Melicope peninsularis is a species of small tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to tropical north Queensland. It has trifoliate leaves and white flowers borne in short panicles in leaf axils.

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

Melicope rubra, commonly known as the little evodia, is a species of small tree in the family Rutaceae, and is endemic to north-east Queensland. It has trifoliate leaves and pink bisexual flowers arranged on branches below the leaves.

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

Melicope vitiflora, commonly known as northern evodia, fishpoison wood, leatherjacket or leatherwood, is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to north-eastern Australia and New Guinea. It has trifoliate leaves and green to white or cream-coloured flowers borne in 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 "Melicope littoralis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  2. "15 Vulnerable Norfolk Island Flora Species". Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Hartley, Thomas Gordon (February 2001). "On the Taxonomy and Biogeography of Euodia and Melicope (Rutaceae)". Allertonia. 8 (1): 96–97. JSTOR   23189298.
  4. "Euodia littoralis". APNI. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  5. Endlicher, Stephan (1833). Prodromus Florae Norfolkicae. pp. 86–87. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  6. "Melicopoe littoralis". APNI. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  7. Coyne, Peter (December 2011). Norfolk Island's fascinating flora. Belconnen, A.C.T.: Petaurus Press. p. 79. ISBN   9780980652826.
  8. "SPRAT profile - Melicope littoralis". Australian Government Dpeartment of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Retrieved 27 July 2020.