Aceratium megalospermum

Family

Elaeocarpaceae

Botanical Name

Aceratium megalospermum (F.Muell.) Balgooy

Balgooy, M.M.J. van (1964) Blumea 12: 74. Type: ?.

Synonyms

Aceratium megalospermum (F.Muell.) Balgooy var. megalospermum, Blumea 12: 74(1964), Type: ?. Aristotelia megalosperma F.Muell., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 9: 84(1875), Type: In vicinia portus Rockinghams Bay; Dallachy.. Elaeocarpus corymbifer Domin, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 928(1928), Type: Nordost-Queensland: Regenwalder bei Harveys Creek (DOMIN XII. 1909). Aristotelia trilocularis F.M.Bailey, Comprehensive Catalogue of Queensland Plants: 835(1913), Type: Babinda, Mrs. Rowan, 1912.. Aceratium megalospermum var. coriaceum Balgooy, Blumea 12: 74(1964), Type: Brass 20027 in BRI. ... QUEENSLAND. Cook District: Annan R., Upper Parrot Ck, c. 350 m, bank of stream in rain-forest. Brass 20027 (Type: BRI)..

Common name

Carabeen; Creek Aceratium; Bolly Carabeen; Carabeen, Bolly

Stem

Usually a poorly formed or multistemmed tree.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 3.5-11.5 x 0.8-2.8 cm. Petioles short, about 0.1-0.4 cm. Terminal buds and young shoots densely clothed in long, brown, prostrate, silky hairs. Fine veins do not run parallel with the main lateral veins but more or less at right angles to the midrib.

Flowers

Sepals ovate-lanceolate, about 9-13 x 2.5-3 mm. Petals narrowly oblong-ovate, about 10-17 x 2.5-3.5 mm, tridentate at the apex. Stamens about 12-15, filaments sigmoid, about 4-6 mm long, minutely puberulous in the lower half only; anthers about 3-3.8 mm long, shortly pubescent, hispidulous at the apex. Disk about 1-1.2 mm high, glabrous. Ovary ovate, about 2-2.5 x 1.5 mm, glabrous, ovules about 5 or 6 per locule. Style subulate, about 9-14 mm long, glabrous.

Fruit

Fruits convex at the base, ellipsoid to subglobose, about 11-18 x 9-12 mm.

Seedlings

Cotyledon venation difficult to see or not visible. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade slightly glaucous on the underside, leaf blade and stem clothed in erect pale brown hairs.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to NEQ, widespread. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 600 m. Grows in well developed rain forest particularly along creeks and gullies.

Natural History

Leaf material of this species was active against some tumors. Collins et al. (1990).