Guettarda speciosa L.

Linnaeus, C. von (1753) Species Plantarum 2: 991. Type: Habitat in Java.

Sea Randia; Zebra Wood

Occasionally grows into a tree but usually flowers and fruits as a shrub about 2-5 m tall.

Leaf blades usually rather large, about 10-23 x 10-17 cm. Petioles about 1.8-3.5 cm long. Stipules very broadly lanceolate, about 10-20 mm long, +/- longitudinally veined. Petioles clothed in pale coloured hairs. Twigs marked by numerous pale coloured lenticels.

Flowers usually strongly perfumed. Peduncles about 5-10 cm long but individual flowers sessile. Calyx about 5-6 mm long, pubescent on the outer surface, often with a solitary lobe. Corolla tube about 17-35 mm long, throat (i.e. inner surface near apex) hairy, lobes about 10-15 mm long. Anthers about 2-3.5 mm long, sessile.

Fruits sessile, +/- globose, about 15-25 mm diam., surface smooth, pericarp fibrous. Seeds about 4-6 per individual fruit. Cotyledons very short, not exceeding the diameter of the radicle and certainly much shorter.

Cotyledons obovate or spathulate, sessile, about 4-6 x 1.5-2 mm, stipulate. Stipules about 2 mm long. Hypocotyl long and slender. First pair of leaves pubescent, opposite, stipulate. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade +/- lanceolate, about 5.5-6.5 x 2-3 cm, pubescent on both the upper and lower surfaces, stipules large, about 9-10 mm long, broadly lanceolate, hairy on the outer surface and +/- longitudinally veined. Petiole about 1 cm long. Seed germination time 53 to 607 days.

Occurs in NT, CYP, NEQ and CEQ. Altitudinal range quite small being found just above sea level. Grows in beach forest and strand vegetation. Also occurs in Africa, Asia, Malesia and the Pacific islands.

This species may have medicinal properties.