Melicope elleryana

Family

Rutaceae

Botanical Name

Melicope elleryana (F.Muell.) T.G.Hartley

Hartley, T.G. (1990) Telopea 4(1): 34. Type: ?.

Synonyms

Acronychia muelleri (Engl.) W.D.Francis, Kew Bull. 1931: 190(1931), Type: ?. Euodia muelleri Engl., Nat. Pflanzenfam. 4: 121(1896), Type: ?. Euodia elleryana F.Muell. var. elleryana, Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, Kew: 189(1932), Type: ?. Evodiella muelleri (Engl.) B.L.Linden, Nova Guinea (new ser.) 10: 147(1959), Type: ?. Euodia elleryana F.Muell., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 5: 4(1865), Type: Queensland, Port Curtis, Beddome Creek, Thozet; holo: MEL. Fide Hartley (2001).

Common name

Corkwood; Pink Doughwood; Pink-flowered Evodia; Evodia; Doughwood, Pink; Pink Evodia; Pink Flowered Doughwood; Pink Euodia; Spermwood

Stem

Bark pale brown and corky, particularly at the butt near the roots. Narrow, pale brown brittle stripes in the blaze.

Leaves

Oil dots visible with a lens if not visible to the naked eye. Leaflet blades about 8-19 x 3.5-7.5 cm. Stalk of the middle leaflet slightly longer than those of the lateral leaflets, all three grooved on the upper surface. Old leaves turn yellow prior to falling. Freshly broken twigs have a somewhat mousy odour.

Flowers

Inflorescences produced on the branches below or back from the leaves. Sepals about 1.5-2 mm long. Petals about 5-6.5 mm long, glabrous on the outer surface, pubescent on the inner surface. Staminal filaments glabrous. Disk yellow-green, pubescent, continuous, surrounding the ovary. Ovary pubescent.

Fruit

Fruiting carpels connate at the base, individual carpels about 5-8 mm long. Seeds about 2-3 mm diam. Aril shiny black on the outer surface, completely enclosing the seed. Testa finely pitted or foveolate.

Seedlings

Cotyledon margin not or infrequently finely crenate. Oil dots small, more frequent about the margins. At the tenth leaf stage: lateral leaflets slightly unequal-sided at the base; oil dots numerous, visible with a lens.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in WA, NT, CYP, NEQ and southwards to north-eastern New South Wales. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 800 m. Grows in well developed rain forest on a variety of sites. This species is favoured by disturbance. Also occurs in New Guinea.

Natural History

Seeds eaten by pigeons. Cooper & Cooper (1994).

Food plant for the larval stages of the Ulysses Butterfly. Common & Waterhouse (1981).

A commonly cultivated tree that is fast growing and produces masses of pink flowers which are attractive to birds.