Polyscias sambucifolia | |
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Polyscias sambucifolia subsp. sambucifolia growing near Brisbane Water National Park, Australia | |
Fruit (McKay Reserve, Palm Beach, New South Wales) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Apiales |
Family: | Araliaceae |
Genus: | Polyscias |
Species: | P. sambucifolia |
Binomial name | |
Polyscias sambucifolia | |
Synonyms | |
Panax sambucifolius Sieber ex DC. Contents |
Polyscias sambucifolia, commonly known as elderberry panax or small basswood, is a species of plant native to eastern Australia.
Elderberry panax was first described by Franz Sieber in 1830 as Panax sambucifolius. [1] It was given its current name in 1894 by German botanist Hermann Harms. [2]
The taxonomy of the small basswood has been reviewed, resulting in the recognition of three sub species: sambucifolia, decomposita and leptophylla. [3]
Common names for these plants include small basswood, elderberry panax, ornamental ash and elderberry ash. [2]
Elderberry panax grows to 11 metres tall with a trunk diameter of 20 cm at Errinundra National Park and Otway National Park in the state of Victoria.
The trunk is straight. Bark is dark brown or black. Fairly smooth, marked by lenticles, pustules and lines.
Leaf form varies between different sub forms of this plant. See Plant Net [3] for detailed descriptions between the sub species.
Leaves are pinnate or bipinnate, with leaflets. Between one and six pairs of leaflets on the leaf stem. Leaflets of sub species sambucifolia are toothed, ovate in shape. The other sub species leaves are not toothed.
Leaflets 2 to 20 cm long. Leaves glossy green above, dull glaucous below. A terminal leaflet is seen on the end of the compound leaf.
Leaf stalks vary between 20 mm and no leaf stalk in sub species leptophylla. Leaf shape varies between ovate or elliptic to broad-elliptic in sub species sambucifolia. However the sessile leaflets of sub species leptophylla are oblong linear and somewhat curved (falcate) in shape. Leaf formation is two-pinnate or rarely three-pinnate in sub species decomposita.
Leaf veins evident on both the upper and lower surfaces. Sunken on the top of the leaf, raised below.
Yellow/green flowers form on panicles from December to February. The fruit is an edible globose mericarp, 4 to 6 mm long. Mauve or blue in colour. Containing one or two seeds, 2 mm long. Fruit matures from January to April.
The natural range of distribution is from Cape Otway (38° S) in the state of Victoria to the McPherson Range (28° S), on the border of New South Wales and Queensland. It is often seen on the edge of rainforests.
Currawongs eat the fruit. The caterpillars of the elderberry panax leaf roller ( Cryptoptila australana ) eat the leaves. [4]
Elderberry panax has attractive foliage and fruit. [5]
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 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.
Calamus australis, commonly known as wait-a-while, hairy mary or lawyer cane, is a plant in the palm family Arecaceae which is endemic to the rainforests of north east Queensland, Australia. Like other species in the genus Calamus, this is a climbing plant with a very long and flexible stem. It uses sharp strong hooks on the fronds and tendrils to attach itself to other vegetation, such as taller established trees, thus gaining support that enables it to grow higher towards the canopy. This species is very similar to C. radicalis, with which it coexists, but is smaller in almost all respects.
Diploglottis australis, known as the native tamarind, is a well known rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It is easily identified by the large sausage shaped leaflets.
Polyscias elegans, known as the celery wood, is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It occurs in a variety of different rainforest types, from fertile basaltic soils, to sand dunes and less fertile sedimentary soils. The range of natural distribution is from Jervis Bay in southern New South Wales to Thursday Island, north of the Australian continent. Other common names include black pencil cedar and silver basswood. Polyscias elegans is useful to bush regenerators as a nursery tree, which provides shade for longer-lived young trees underneath. Polyscias elegans is also known as Celery wood, Mowbulan whitewood, Silver basswood and White sycamore.
Polyscias murrayi, known as the pencil cedar, is a very common rainforest tree of eastern Australia.
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.
Pseudoweinmannia lachnocarpa is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Common names include rose marara, mararie, scrub rosewood and red carabeen. The species name lachnocarpa is from the Greek, referring to the "woolly fruit". The genus name refers to the similarity of another genus, Weinmannia, after the German eighteenth century pharmacist J.W. Weinmann.
Atalaya multiflora, known as the broad leaved whitewood, is a rare and endangered rainforest tree of the soapberry family native to eastern Australia.
Boronia mollis, commonly known as soft boronia, is a plant in the citrus family and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a shrub with pinnate leaves, and small groups of pink flowers in leaf axils. It grows in coastal areas in forest.
Cyanothamnus anemonifolius, commonly known as narrow-leaved boronia or sticky boronia, is a flowering plant that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with mostly pinnate leaves, with white to pale pink four-petalled flowers in leaf axils.
Blepharocarya involucrigera is a tree in the sumac family Anacardiaceae. It is endemic to Queensland, Australia. Common names include north Queensland bollygum, northern bollygum and rose butternut.
Cryptoptila australana, commonly known as the elderberry panax leaf roller, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.
Grevillea pauciflora, commonly known as the few-flowered grevillea, or as Port Lincoln grevillea in South Australia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south of continental Australia. It is an erect to straggly or spreading shrub with linear to narrowly wedge-shaped leaves and red or orange flowers with a red or orange style.
Boronia umbellata, commonly known as the Orara boronia, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area on the north coast of New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with many branches, aromatic, pinnate leaves and clusters of up to ten dark pink flowers in the leaf axils.
Bouchardatia neurococca, commonly known as union nut, is a species of small rainforest tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves with three or five narrow elliptical leaflets, white flowers arranged in panicles, and oval follicles.
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.
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.
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.
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.