Dysoxylum alliaceum

Family

Meliaceae

Botanical Name

Dysoxylum alliaceum (Blume) Blume

Blume, C.L. (1825) Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indie 4: 172. Type: ?.

Synonyms

Gaurea alliacea Blume, Flora 7: 290(1824), Type: Java?.

Common name

Cape York Cedar; Cedar, Cape York; Buff Mahogany; Mahogany, Buff

Stem

Blaze odour strong but difficult to describe, possibly like incense. Wood emitting a fruity odour. Lenticels generally large.

Leaves

Freshly broken twigs emit an odour like that of Red Cedar (Toona ciliata) timber, onions (Allium cepa) or shallots (Allium ascalonicum). Terminal buds and young shoots densely clothed in short, brown hairs. Elongated pale lenticels usually visible on the twigs. Leaflet blades about 7.5-25 x 2.5-7.5 cm.

Flowers

Calyx shallowly cup-shaped, lobes variable, usually broad but apiculate at the apex. Outer surface of the corolla glabrous. Petals about 5-8 mm long. Stamens about 6-8. Disk cupular, enclosing the ovary. Ovary sparsely pubescent.

Fruit

Fruits +/- globular or laterally compressed and lobed, about 25-30 mm long, outer surface glabrous. Sarcotesta white but becoming red in the open fruit. Cotyledons green.

Seedlings

First pair of leaves broadly lanceolate, about 12-18 x 6-9 cm, glabrous, pulvinus obvious at the petiole-leaf blade junction. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves and petioles +/- glabrous when fully developed, leaflet blades shortly stalked and lacking pulvini; small oil dots just visible with a lens. Terminal bud clothed in short, pale +/- prostrate hairs. Freshly broken or crushed roots emit an odour like that of garlic (Allium sativum) or onions.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in CYP, NEQ and southwards as far as coastal central Queensland. Altitudinal range from sea level to 800 m. Grows in well developed lowland and upland rain forest. Also occurs in SE Asia, Malesia and the Solomon Islands.