Flindersia australis
| Crow's ash | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Rutaceae |
| Genus: | Flindersia |
| Species: | F. australis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Flindersia australis | |
Flindersia australis, commonly known as crow's ash, flindosy or Australian teak,[2] 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.
Description[edit]
Flindersia australis is a tree that typically grows to a height of 40 m (130 ft), larger trees usually having a buttressed trunk. The leaves are usually arranged alternately and are crowded near the ends of the branchlets. The leaves usually have between five and nine elliptical to egg-shaped leaflets that are 24–130 mm (0.94–5.12 in) long and 8–43 mm (0.31–1.69 in) wide, the side leaflets on a petiolule up to 3 mm (0.12 in) long and the end leaflet on a petiolule sessile or on a petiolule up to 32 mm (1.3 in) long. The flowers are arranged in panicles 50–150 mm (2.0–5.9 in) long and usually include a few male-only flowers. The five sepals are about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and the five petals are white to cream-coloured, 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) long and densely hairy on the back and part of the front. Flowering occurs from September to October and the fruit is a woody capsule 45–100 mm (1.8–3.9 in) long and studded with short, rough points. The seeds are 34–50 mm (1.3–2.0 in) long and winged.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy[edit]
The genus Flindersia and F. australis were first formally described in 1814 by Robert Brown in Matthew Flinders' sea voyage journal A Voyage to Terra Australis, from specimens collected near Broad Sound in September 1802.[5]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Crow's ash grows in rainforest and dry scrub from near Airlie Beach, inland as far as Carnarvon National Park and south to near Kempsey in New South Wales.[2][3][4]
Conservation status[edit]
Flindersia australis is classified as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ "Flindersia australis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ a b c Hartley, Thomas G.; Wilson, Annette J.G. (ed.) (2013). Flora of Australia (Volume 26). Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study. p. 71. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
{{cite book}}:|first2=has generic name (help) - ^ a b "Flindersia australis". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 26 June 2009.
- ^ a b F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Flindersia australis". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ "Flindersia australis". APNI. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ "Species profile — Flindersia australis (crow's ash)". Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science. Retrieved 15 July 2020.