Dinosperma melanophloium (C.T.White) T.G.Hartley

Rutaceae

Hartley, T.G. (1997) Adansonia Ser. 3 19: 192.

Aniseed Aspen; Black Barked Doughwood; Hard Aspen

Small tree 3-10 m tall, seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh.

Crushed leaves often, but not always, emitting an aniseed (Pimpinella anisum) odour. Leaf blades about 7-15 x 2.5-6.5 cm. Oil dots quite numerous. Lateral veins forming indistinct loops inside the blade margin.

Inflorescence usually exceeding the leaves. Petals pubescent, about 6 mm long. Stamens eight, dimorphic, four long and four short. Anther filaments flat, more than 0.5 mm wide, hairy. Disk enclosing the lower half of the ovary. Style pubescent in the lower half.

Fruits consist of 1-4 carpels just connate at the base. Individual carpels about 8-11 mm long. Seeds shed as the fruits open, seeds not held by any funicle-like organ. Cotyledons green. Seeds cylindrical or bullet-shaped, about 6 x 3 mm, testa smooth, hilum more than half the length of the seed.

Cotyledons much wider than long, about 10-13 x 23-28 mm. Oil dots just visible to the naked eye. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade elliptic to obovate, apex acuminate, base cuneate, glabrous; oil dots numerous, usually visible to the naked eye. Seed germination time 6 to 24 days.

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards to south-eastern Queensland. Altitudinal range in CYP and NEQ from 400-1100 m. Grows in drier, more seasonal rain forest and is often associated with Kauri Pine (Agathis robusta).

Melicope melanophloia C.T.White, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Stock. Botany Bulletin 20: 8(1918), Type: Kin Kin and Wolvi, Francis and White.