Xanthophyllum octandrum

Family

Polygalaceae

Botanical Name

Xanthophyllum octandrum (F.Muell.) Domin

Domin, K. (1928) Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 860. Type: ?.

Synonyms

Xanthophyllum macintyrii F.Muell., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 5: 57(1865), Type: Ad sinum Rockinghams Bay. Macintyria octandra F.Muell., Fragm. 5: 8(1865), Type: Rockingham Bay, Dallachy.

Common name

Mareeba Stonewood; Yellow Boxwood; Sovereignwood; Soft Ghittoe; Mealy Barked Yellow Stonewood; Macintyre's Boxwoos; False Jitta; Cheesewood; Boxwood, Yellow; Boxwood, Macintyre's; Milky Jitta

Stem

Stem completely lacking any form of buttress. Crown generally thin and sparse.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 6.5-17 x 2-6.2 cm. About 4-8 main lateral veins on each side of the midrib. One or two, rarely three or more inconspicuous glands often visible on the underside on each side of the midrib, generally towards the base of the leaf blade. Glands generally situated away from both the midrib and the margin of the leaf blade. Petiole often transversely wrinkled but usually grooved on the upper surface.

Flowers

Inflorescence about 5-20 cm long, usually exceeding the leaves. Sepals pubescent, about 2.5-3.5 mm long, inner larger than the outer. Petals mainly glabrous, villous near the base, about 10 x 2.5-3 mm. Stamens eight. Anther filaments villous and expanded mainly in the lower half, about 5-6 mm long, closely adhering to the basal part of the petals, but without any vascular attachment, anthers about 0.6 mm long. Disk about 0.2-0.3 mm high, margins obscurely lobed. Ovary octangular, villous, about 2-2.5 x 2 mm, stipitate, stipe about 1 mm long. Yellow glandular disk at base of ovary stipe. Ovules about five. Style about 4 mm long.

Fruit

Fruits depressed globular and laterally compressed, about 13-20 x 15-23 mm. Seeds about 10-12 x 11-13 mm, completely enclosed in the aril. Embryo flat +/- orbicular, about 8 mm diam., cotyledons green, many times wider than the radicle.

Seedlings

Cotyledons obovate or orbicular, about 15-21 mm diam. First pair of true leaves lanceolate. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade lanceolate to oblong-ovate, apex acuminate, base cuneate or obtuse, glabrous; petiole and stem glabrous, stem usually somewhat zig-zagged.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in CYP, NEQ and southwards as far as coastal central Queensland. Altitudinal range from sea level to 1600 m. Grows in well developed rain forest on a variety of sites. One of the slower growing rain forest species and large trees are probably quite old.

Natural History

Fruit eaten by Cassowaries. Cooper & Cooper (1994).

This is a very slow growing species and large trees are thought to be of great age. Produces a useful timber which was once sought for the manufacture of wooden rulers.