Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Amorphospermum antilogum F.Muell.


Tree
Click/tap on images to enlarge
Flowers [not vouchered]. CC-BY J.L. Dowe
Fruit. © A. Ford & F. Goulter
Leaves and fruit. © A. Ford & F. Goulter
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
10th leaf stage. © CSIRO
Cotyledon stage, hypogeal germination. © CSIRO
Family

Mueller, F.J.H. von (1869) Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 7: 113. Lectotype: "Thozet s.n. (MEL)."

Common name

Milky Plum; Silky Hornbeam; Plum Boxwood; Brown Pearwood; Boxwood, Plum; Plum, Milky

Stem

Seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh in northern Queensland. Exudate mainly in the inner blaze. Pale brown, brittle stripes in both the inner and outer blazes.

Leaves

Petioles and twigs produce a milky exudate. Leaf blades about 5-12.5 x 1.7-5.8 cm. Younger leaf blades very shortly rusty hairy on the underside. Terminal buds and young shoots densely clothed in short, rusty brown hairs.

Flowers

Flowers about 2.5-3 x 2 mm, in dense axillary fascicles. Ovary densely clothed in rusty brown hairs.

Fruit

Fruits about 4-5.5 cm diam. Testa thick and hard. Hilum not very obvious, about 10 x 5 mm.

Seedlings

A number of cataphylls (4-7) are produced before the first true leaves. First true leaves oblanceolate-obovate, apex obtuse or bluntly pointed, base cuneate. Lower surface of the first pair of leaves densely clothed in appressed cream-coloured medifixed hairs. Tap root swollen, carrot-like (Daucus carota). Germination resembles that of Bunya Pine (Araucaria bidwilli). At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade narrow elliptic to oblanceolate, apex acute, base attenuate. Lower surface densely clothed in translucent, medifixed hairs with a sprinkling of darker, larger, medifixed hairs. Upper surface sparsely clothed in brownish, medifixed hairs. Terminal bud and young shoots densely clothed in coppery brown, medifixed hairs. Taproot thick and swollen. Seed germination time 186 days.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards as far as north-eastern New South Wales. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 450 m. Grows in monsoon forest, beach forest and other seasonally dry vegetation types. Also occurs in New Guinea.

Natural History & Notes

Sometimes grows large enough to produce millable logs.

Produces a useful general purpose timber.

Wood specific gravity 0.81. Cause et al. (1989).

Synonyms

Chrysophyllum antilogum (F.Muell.) Vink, Blumea 9: 65(1958). Lucuma amorphosperma F.M.Bailey, The Queensland Flora 3: 955(1900), Type: Queensland, Rockhampton, P. OShanesy; Mt Dryander, Kilner & Bowman; syn: MEL?. Lucuma antiloga (F.Muell.) F.M.Bailey, A Synopsis of the Queensland Flora : 296(1883). Sersalisia antiloga (F.Muell.) Domin, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 1062(1928). Niemeyera antiloga (F.Muell.) T.D.Penn.The Genera of Sapotaceae : 235 (1991).

RFK Code
681
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