Aglaia meridionalis

Family

Meliaceae

Botanical Name

Aglaia meridionalis Pannell

Pannell, C.M. (1992) Kew Bulletin Additional Series 16: 88. Type: Australia, Queensland, Cook District, Thornton Peak (Mt Alexander) 20 Sep. 1937 Brass & White 262 (BRI, K).

Synonyms

Amoora ferruginea C.T.White, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 53: 210(1942), Type: Thorton Peak, Brass & white 262 (BRI, K).

Common name

Rusty Almond

Stem

Can grow into a small tree less than 30 cm dbh but usually flowers and fruits as a slender single-stemmed shrub.

Leaves

Freshly broken twigs produce a meagre milky exudate(?). Scattered to numerous, brown, stellate hairs visible with a lens or the naked eye on the underside of the leaflet blade. Compound leaf petiole swollen at its junction with the twig. Leaflets about 11-13 per leaf, leaflet blades rather large, about 10-28 x 2.5-7.5 cm, leaflet stalks about 0.5-1.7 cm long. Lateral veins about 16-22 on each side of the midrib. Terminal buds and young shoots densely clothed in dark brown, stellate hairs. Brown or rusty brown lenticels usually conspicuous on the twigs.

Flowers

Inflorescence branches clothed in dark brown stellate hairs. Calyx about 3-3.5 mm diam. Petals about 3.5 mm diam. Outer surface of the calyx and petals densely clothed in ferruginous stellate scales. Stamens about 6 per flower. Anthers about 1.5-2 mm long. Ovary completely clothed in stellate hairs or scales.

Fruit

Fruits about 25-30 x 25-30 mm, obovoid, outer surface densely clothed in dark reddish-brown, stellate hairs. Fruits pink on the inner surface. Seeds about 1-3 per fruit, each seed about 15-23 x 10-13 x 7-10 mm, completely enveloped by the aril. Testa thin.

Seedlings

First pair of leaves ovate or almost orbicular, about 4-6 cm long, sparsely scattered stellate hairs or scales visible with a lens on the underside. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade underside clothed in reddish brown stellate hairs particularly when young and just expanding. Terminal buds and stems clothed in ferruginous, stellate hairs.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to NEQ, occurs in the area between Big Tableland (near Cooktown) and Tully. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1100 m. Grows as an understory plant in well developed rain forest on a variety of sites.