Claoxylon tenerifolium (F.Muell. ex Baill.) F.Muell. subsp. tenerifolium

Euphorbiaceae

Forster, P.I. (2007) Austrobaileya 7(3): 464.

Claoxylon; Queensland Brittlewood

Evegreen shrub or small tree to 8 m tall. Evergreen or deciduous shrub or small tree to 6 m tall. Hard yellowish or orange layers often present in the blaze. Blaze odour apparent, difficult to describe but usually unpleasant. Cambial layer may turn purplish on exposure.

Oil dots visible with a lens. Usually 2 small raised glands present on the upper side of the petiole at its junction with the leaf blade. Leaf blades about 3-16 x 1-16 cm. Petiole narrowly grooved on the upper surface, 5-50 mm x 0.3 x 1.5 mm, scattered indumentum. Domatia absent. Pale circular or slightly elongated lenticels normally visible on the twigs. Stipules very small.

Inflorescences axillary, up to 80 mm long. Flowers glabrous or with sparse indumentum. Male and female flowers about 2 mm diam. Anthers shaped like a cloven hoof with the two anther sacs joined only towards the base; bases of the staminal filaments surrounded by numerous glabrous 'glands'. Ovary glabrous or with scattered indumentum near base.

Fruit about 6-7 x 3.5-4 mm. Aril orange to orange-red, completely enclosing the seed.

Features not recorded.

Occurs at the southern edge of NEQ near Forty Mile Scrub, CEQ and southwards as far as south-eastern Queensland. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 900 m. Grows in dry rainforest types.

This species is characterised by generally sparser indumentum.

Claoxylon tenerifolium (Baill.) F.Muell., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 6: 183(1868). Mercurialis tenerifolia Baill., Adansonia 6: 323(1866), Type: Dallachy, n. 137 (janv. 1863), Rockhampton, Thozet Creek. Bowman, n. 151, Broad-Sound; Queensland (herb. F. Muell.!).