Flindersia collina

Leopard Wood
notched leaves of the Leopard Wood
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Flindersia
Species: F. collina
Binomial name
Flindersia collina
F.M.Bailey
Synonyms
  • Flindersia strzeleckiana var. latifolia F.M.Bailey

Flindersia collina is an Australian rainforest tree in the citrus family. It is known as the Leopard Wood, Broad-leaved Leopard Tree or Leopard Ash. It occurs in dry rainforest, often on hillsides. The species name collina means hill dweller. Seen from the upper Richmond River, New South Wales to Cape Melville in tropical Queensland. An attractive tree with pleasantly marked bark, and shapely notched leaflets.

Description

A small to tall tree, up to 40 metres in height,[1] and a trunk diameter of 60 cm. Bark is mottled green, grey and brown. Bark sheds in patches leaving a series of roundish depressions. Small bumps appear on the bark. The trunk is cylindrical and not buttressed. Small branches grey with downy new shoots, distinct scar marks shown.

3 to 7 stalkless leaflets per compound leaf. Leaflets 2 to 8 cm long, with a blunt or notched tip. Leaf shaft winged, sometimes broadly so when coppicing. Smooth and green on both surfaces, somewhat paler green below. Tiny oil dots visible with a magnifying glass. Leaflets show distinct venation, with the midrib raised top and bottom of the leaf.

White flowers form on panicles from September to October. Individual flowers around 6 mm in diameter. The fruit is a brown woody capsule, 4 to 5 cm long. Opening up in 5 valves. Seeds are 25 mm in length which includes the thin seed "wings", surrounding the heavier central part of the seed. Seeds dispersed by wind.

Uses

An attractive ornamental plant

References

  1. "Flindersia collina". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Retrieved 2010-02-28.
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