Pleiogynium timorense

Family

Anacardiaceae

Botanical Name

Pleiogynium timorense (DC.) Leenh.

Leenhouts, P.W. (1952) Blumea 7: 159. Type: ?.

Synonyms

Icica timorensis DC., Prodr. 2: 78(1825), Type: Timor, collector unknown. Pleiogynium cerasiferum (F.Muell.) R.Parker, Forest Flora for the Punjab with Hazara and Delhi ed. 2: 560(1924), Type: ?. Pleiogynium cerasiferum (F.Muell.) R.Parker var. cerasiferum, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 892(1928), Type: ?. Pleiogynium cerasiferum var. glabratum Domin, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 892(1928), Type: so meine fruchtenden Exemplare vom Castle Hill bei Townsville (DOMIN II. 1910), ferner die Exemplare von Gladstone, A. DIETRICH No. 1221 und s.l.. Pleiogynium solandri (Benth.) Engl., Monographiae Phanerogamarum 4: 255(1883), Type: ?. Spondias pleiogyna F.Muell., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 4: 78(1864), Type: Ad flumen Bowen River, Edw. Bowman; ad portum Denisonii, Dallachy. Spondias solandri Benth., Flora Australiensis 1: 492(1863), Type: Queensland. Endeavour river, Banks and Solander; Keppel Bay, Shoalwater Bay, Broad Sound, and Northumberland Islands, R. Brown. Owenia cerasifera F.Muell., Hooker's Journal of Botany & Kew Garden Miscellany 9: 305(1857), Type: Hab. Ad ripam collinam fluvii Burdekin.

Common name

Plum, Tulip; Plum, Burdekin; Plum, Sweet; Sweet Plum; Tulip Plum; Burdekin Plum

Stem

Large trees usually with large plank buttresses. Blaze layering fine but conspicuous.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 4-10 x 2-6 cm. Stalk of the terminal leaflet significantly longer than those of the lateral leaflets. Midrib raised on the upper surface. Pale, slightly elongated lenticels usually obvious on the leaf-bearing twigs. Domatia, if present, are foveoles, usually with hairs at the opening.

Flowers

Calyx lobes about 0.6-1 mm long. Petals ovate, about 1.7-3.8 mm long. Stamens usually eight or ten, rarely 12 and inserted below and outside the disk. Filaments about 1.3-2.3 mm long. Styles and stigmas ten in the female flowers, styles about 1 mm long.

Fruit

Fruits depressed-obovoid, about 20-25 x 20-38 mm. Endocarp hard and woody, about 1.8-2.5 x 2-3.5 mm. Seeds about 5-12 per fruit. Cotyledons 3-veined. The hard stony remains of the fruit normally persist beneath mature female trees. Each fruit or seed kernel resembling a flying saucer with portholes around the equator.

Seedlings

Cotyledons linear, about 20 x 1-1.5 mm. First pair of leaves trifoliolate, middle leaflet sometimes toothed or lobed. At the tenth leaf stage: leaflets ovate, unequal-sided, apex acute with a short mucro, base rounded, hairy along the midrib and lateral veins; petiole and rhachis of compound leaf, stem and terminal bud clothed in pale tortuous hairs.

Distribution and Ecology

A widespread species in CYP, NEQ and southwards to south-eastern Queensland. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1000 m. Grows in drier rain forest and monsoon forest. Also found in Malesia and the Pacific islands.

Natural History

This species produces a decorative timber which is seldom seen in furniture because of the scarcity of good logs. White-fleshed fruits are sometimes found. Once upon a time it was generally believed that the fruits become more palatable after burial in sand for some days.

The timber of this species has been used for the manufacture of musical conductors batons. Swain (1928).

Produces quite a decorative timber which has seldom been utilized.

Wood specific gravity 0.93. Cause et al. (1989).

CYP

X

NEQ

X

Tree

X

RFK Code

392