Planchonella asterocarpon (P.Royen) Swenson, Bartish & Munzinger

Sapotaceae

Swenson, U., Bartish, I.V. & Munzinger, J. (2007) Cladistics 23: 222. 

Yellow Boxwood; Boxwood, Yellow

Bark exudate rather watery, slow to appear and meagre.

Leaf blades about 7.5-13.5 x 3-5.7 cm, underside with a whitish or silvery sheen. Midrib and main lateral veins raised on the upper surface. Petioles produce a watery or slightly milky exudate.

Sepals ovate-orbicular, about 4 x 4 mm, yellowish sericeous or pubescent on the outer surface but glabrous on the inner surface. Corolla about 4-5 mm long. Stamens inserted above the middle of the corolla, filaments about 0.6-0.8 mm long, anthers about 1 mm long. Staminodes +/- linear, about 0.7 mm long. Ovary about 1 mm long, densely brownish-yellow hirsute. Style about 2.5 mm long.

Fruits globular, about 18-20 x 18-21 mm. Seeds up to five per fruit, +/- ellipsoid, laterally compressed, about 13 x 7 x 4 mm. Testa hard and woody, hilum about 2 mm wide, almost 3/4 the length of the seed.

Cotyledons ovate, slightly unequal-sided, about 15-20 mm long. First pair of true leaves elliptic, margins entire. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves obovate, apex acute, base cuneate to attenuate, upper surface glabrous or with a few hairs on the midrib, undersurface clothed in prostrate, pale hairs, lateral veins about 9-12 each side of the midrib; petiole, stem and terminal bud growth clothed in prostrate, brown hairs. Seed germination time 24 to 39 days.

Endemic to NEQ, restricted to the Atherton Tableland and surrounding mountains. Altitudinal range from 900-1150 m. Grows in well developed mountain rain forest.

Produces a useful general purpose timber.

Wood specific gravity 1.00. Cause et al. (1989).

Pouteria asterocarpon (P.Royen) Jessup, Austrobaileya 6: 163(2001), Type: Queensland, Atherton district, holo: Kemp s.n. AQ22582 BRI. Planchonella pohlmaniana var. asterocarpon P.Royen, Blumea 8: 395(1955), Type: Kemp s.n. in BRI. .. Queensland Atherton distr., without known loc.: Kemp s.n. (BRI), fr.