Vavaea australiana

Family

Meliaceae

Botanical Name

Vavaea australiana S.T.Blake

Blake, S.T. (1954) Australian Journal of Botany 2(1): 122. Type: Northern Territtory, Sandstone tableland between Gerowie Creek and Mary R., 13 30 S., 132 E., 4 Oct. 1946, S. T. Blake, 17168; holo: BRI.

Common name

Vavaea

Stem

Blaze darkens to greyish on exposure.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 6-21 x 3-9.5 cm, clustered near the ends of the twigs but not really whorled. Terminal buds, young twigs and petioles clothed in pale brown, prostrate hairs.

Flowers

Inflorescence about 5-17 cm long, usually not exceeding the leaves. Calyx shortly pubescent, about 1.6-1.8 mm long, shallowly lobed. Petals about 5-6 mm long, mainly pubescent, broadly linear, apex obtuse. Staminal filaments fused towards the base, and glabrous, free filaments woolly. Disk attached to the staminal tube. Ovary hirsute. Style about 2 mm long.

Fruit

Fruits globular, about 10-20 mm diam. Seeds globular, about 8-10 mm diam. Testa smooth.

Seedlings

Seed coat containing cotyledons remains on seedling until first pair of leaves have expanded. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade obovate, margin often sinuately lobed; terminal bud clothed in pale, prostrate, straight hairs.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to NT. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 200 m. Grows in rain forest and gallery forest near permanent water, particularly around springs and soaks.

NT

X

Tree

X

RFK Code

1022