Sloanea australis.
Cudgerie or Maiden’s Blush is native to the rain forests of eastern Australia.
They are a medium sized tree around 30 m but some are up to 40 to 50 m.
They have a crooked trunk with scaly grey-brown bark.
The bark has vertical fissures and semi-circular scars where branches have fallen.
The base develops buttresses and there may be new shoots near the base.
Hairs on young twigs are lost on older ones.
Concentrated at the branch ends the alternate leaves can be so close they are almost opposite.
Leaves are on a petiole up to 2.5 cm long.
The narrowly obovate or oblong blades can be up to 30 cm long.
The tapering base widens just above the petiole.
The edges are toothed, veins prominent on both sides and new growth is pink.
Axillary inflorescences are a single flower or a raceme with flowers opening from the bottom of the midrib first.
Flowers are on a pedicel around 4 cm long.
The 4 or 5, 8 mm long obovate sepals have some hairs.
The 4 or 5 cream petals are up to 2 or 2.5 cm long.
There are numerous stamens.
Fruit are a woody capsule covered in dense short bristles.
They open into 4 (5) chambers each with 1 or 2 seeds with a fleshy red aril.
J.F.
