Alphitonia whitei

Family

Rhamnaceae

Botanical Name

Alphitonia whitei Braid

Braid, K.W. (1932) Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, Kew: 181. Type: Queensland. Near Barron River, Bailey (24); ... Jordans Creek, Mocatta 23.

Common name

Ash, Red; Ash, Northern Red; Northern Red Ash; Red Ash; Red Almond; Sarsaparilla

Stem

Blaze odour faint, perhaps resembling liniment.

Leaves

Stipules quite large, about 5 x 1 mm, caducous. Leaf blades about 9-21 x 3.5-7 cm. Petiole grooved or channelled on the upper surface. Young shoots densely clothed in short, reddish brown hairs.

Flowers

Flowers cream to pale green, about 5 mm diam. Sepals about 2 mm long. Petals about 1-1.2 mm long. Stamens enveloped in the petals.

Fruit

Fruits about 6-10 mm diam. Mesocarp not powdery at maturity.

Seedlings

Cotyledons about 8-10 mm long. First pair of leaves with entire margins. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade white on the underside from downy hairs; stipules conspicuous, about 5-8 mm long. Stem hairs short, matted, tortuous.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1200 m. Grows in well developed rain forest on a variety of sites.