Flindersia.
Family Rutaceae (Flindersiaceae).
There are 14 or 15 species in Australia including 5 in S. E. Queensland.
Some common name include Australian teak, Queensland or Silver maple, Queensland
Silver Ash, Hickory Ash, Leopardwood and Yellow-wood.
They are evergreen or semi-deciduous trees.
Many seen are 15 to 30 m high but range from 4 to 50 m.
The crown can be dense or open and rounded or spreading.
Many parts may have simple, stellate or scaly hairs.
There are lenticels on the trunk and branches.
Many are used for their hard, yellowish timber and others as ornamental trees.
Leaves are alternate or opposite (sub-opposite) or they can be both on the same tree.
They can be up to 54 cm long and the midrib is sometimes winged.
Some species have simple, undivided leaves but most are divided or compound.
Compound leaves can have from 3 (trifoliate) up to 19 leaflets.
There may be an even or odd number of leaflets with some having a single, terminal one.
The leaflets are opposite or sub-opposite.
There may be no petiolules (leaflet stalks) or they may be up to 3 cm long.
Leaflets may be 2 – 22 cm long by 0.6 to 8 cm wide.
They may be elliptic, ovate, obovate, oblong or sickle-shaped.
The tips can be rounded or tapering and some have a mucro (short, sharp point).
The base can be rounded, wedge or heart-shaped and symmetric or oblique.
Leaves are often a dark green with a paler undersurface.
The surface may be smooth or have a few to dense hairs or scales.
Leaves have oil glands, sometimes just at the edges but often all over.
Inflorescences are terminal or in the axils near the branch ends.
They consist of branched cluster of small, bisexual (some staminate) flowers.
Inflorescences are often around 15 to 25 cm long but can be up to 40 cm.
Flowers, with parts in 5’s are often white or cream but can be yellow or red.
Most parts may have hairs and/or glands.
The sepals, 1 to 2.5 mm long, may be free or joined at the base.
The petals, 2 to 7 mm long, are free.
There are 10 free stamens in 2 whorls but the inner 5 may be infertile staminodes.
The top of the smooth or slightly hairy filaments curve inwards.
The anthers can be dorsi- or basi-fixed.
There is a large, cup-like nectiferous disc with small, blunt lobes on the top.
The superior ovary has 5 locules each with 4 to 6 ovules with axile placentation.
The globular or slightly lobed ovary has glands on the surface.
There is 1 style and 5 fused stigmas.
The fruit are brown or green, round or ellipsoidal, woody, septicidal capsules.
They are from 2 to 13 cm long.
The surface can be smooth, have 1 to 4 mm long tubercles but commonly has spines 2 to 10 mm long.
Many are covered in short hairs.
When mature they open from the top into 5 sections or valves either completely or half way.
The fruit may fall when mature or stay on the tree for months.
The 2 to 8 flat brown seeds, from 1.5 to 6 cm long, in each section.
Each valve is divided into 2 by a septum with seeds on each side.
Many seeds have wings at both ends but some at only one end.
J.F.
