Macaranga subdentata

Family

Euphorbiaceae

Botanical Name

Macaranga subdentata Benth.

Bentham, G. (1873) Flora Australiensis 6: 145. Type: Queensland. Rockingham Bay, Dallachy.

Common name

Needle Bark

Stem

Creamy-yellow, hard, brittle, needle-like structures in the blaze. These structures (apparently more durable than the rest of the bark tissues) tend to persist on the surface of the dead bark.

Leaves

Two or more reddish brown flat glands normally visible on the upper surface of the leaf blade at the base near its junction with the petiole. Leaf blades about 12-21 x 3-5.5 cm, underside covered with numerous small silvery scales.

Flowers

Large floral bracts absent. Flowers about 2-3 mm diam. Outer surface of the tepals lepidote scaly, but lacking any glands. Ovary ferruginously hairy, also clothed in scales, glands and trichomes.

Fruit

Capsules muricate and densely yellowish lepidote. Seeds globular, about 3-4 mm diam.

Seedlings

Cotyledons orbicular, about 20 mm diam., hairy on the upper surface. A few scattered small oil dots just visible with a lens. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves elliptic, apex acuminate, base auriculate, margin dentate, upper surface hairy, undersurface with numerous small reddish brown scales, visible only with a lens.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1100 m. Grows as an understory tree in well developed rain forest on a variety of sites.