Pleioluma ferruginea Jessup

Jessup, L.W. (2019) Austrobaileya 10(3): 338-339. Type: Queensland. COOK DISTRICT: State Forest Reserve 143, Parish of Riflemead, North Mary Logging Area, 14 July 1988, B. Gray 4887 (holo: BRI; iso: CNS).

Shrub or tree to 5 m. Twigs with appressed, dark reddish brown straight and shortly tortuous trichomes (hairs). Bark exudate rather meagre and more or less confined to the inner blaze.

Petioles produce a small amount of milky exudate. Terminal buds, young shoots and leaves densely clothed in short, rusty brown hairs. Leaf blades about 2.8-9.5 x 1.2-4.2 cm. Petioles 6-25 mm long.

Pedicels about 10-11 mm long. Sepals green but clothed in brown hairs, +/- ovate, about 3-5 mm long, inner surface ferruginous sericeous. Corolla about 6.5-7.5 mm long, lobes about 2 mm long. Stamens inserted about the middle of the corolla, filaments about 0.5-1 mm long, anthers about 1-2 mm long. Staminodes +/- spathulate, about 1.4-2 mm long. Ovary + style about 7 mm long, ovary +/- sericeous, style difficult to distinguish from the ovary.

Fruits fusiform-cylindrical, about 20 x 10 mm. Seeds one per fruit, fusiform, about 15-18 x 6 x 4-5 mm. Testa hard and woody, hilum about 2 mm wide, about 3/4 the length of the seed.

Features not available.

Endemic to NEQ, known only from the Mt Lewis and Mt Spurgeon area. Altitudinal range from 1000-1300 m. Grows in mountain rain forest often in stunted rain forest on windswept ridges.