Acronychia acidula

Family

Rutaceae

Botanical Name

Acronychia acidula F.Muell.

Mueller, F.J.H. von (1864) Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 4: 154. Type: In montibus Seaview Range apud Rockingham Bay. Dallachy..

Synonyms

Jambolifera acidula (F.Muell.) Kuntze, Revisio Generum Plantarum 1: 102(1891), Type: ?. Acronychia superba Domin, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 849(1928), Type: Nordost-Queensland as Regenwalder bei Allumbah (Yungaburra) (DOMIN II. 1910). [given by T.G.Hartley, J. Arnold Arbor. 55 (1974) 517 as Domin 3406).

Common name

Hard Aspen; Lemon Aspen; Lemon Wood

Stem

Blaze odour generally conspicuous, difficult to describe, but perhaps resembling mango (Mangifera indica) or citrus (Citrus spp.).

Leaves

Leaf blades about 10.5-19.5 x 5-11 cm. About 8-20 main lateral veins on each side of the midrib. Underside of the leaf blade only slightly paler than the upper surface. Crushed leaves often emit an odour like mango skin (Mangifera indica).

Flowers

Inflorescence usually more than 2 cm long. Flowers about 9.5 mm long. Stamens eight, dimorphic, four long and four short, in one whorl, long and short stamens alternating. Disk and style yellow. Ovary and stigma green.

Fruit

Fruits +/- globular, about 20 mm diam. Seeds about 4.5 mm long.

Seedlings

Cotyledons about 9-11 mm long, margins toothed. First and second pairs of leaves trifoliolate. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade inconspicuously toothed, more conspicuous on earlier leaves.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in NEQ and southwards as far as coastal central Queensland. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1150 m. Usually grows in well developed upland and mountain rain forest on a variety of sites. This species is favoured by disturbance and is a characteristic component of rain forest regrowth. The fruits are much sought after by fruit-eating pigeons.

NEQ

X

Tree

X

RFK Code

117