Sarcotoechia heterophylla S.T.Reynolds

Reynolds, S.T. in George, A.S. (ed.) (1985), Flora of Australia 25: 201(84, Map 106) Type: Eungella, Qld, 10 Nov. 1982, K.A.W.Williams 82244; holo: BRI.

A small tree 6-12 m high. Branchlets and peduncles with pale or rusty brown twisted hairs. Bark light brown with grey and green blotches throughout.

New growth reddish, with indumentum of twisted white hairs. Leaves compound and alternate. Stipules absent. About 4-6 leaflets in the compound leaf, leaflets alternate, paripinnate, the leaf axis or rhachis with a terminal process or appendage. Leaflet stalks 1-4 mm long, pulvinate. Leaflet blade narrowly elliptic, elliptic, falcate, obovate or ovate, about 4-15 cm long, 1.7-4.5 cm wide, base cuneate or attenuate, asymmetrical, margin serrate to serrulate, apex acuminate or subacute. Venation prominent, midrib raised on the both upper and lower surface, with 10-15 pairs of primary lateral veins; occasionally with shallow domatia in axis of lateral veins and midrib. Leaves glabrous or with pale brown hairs along midrib and lateral veins on lower surface.

Inflorescence axillary, racemose and plant monoecious. Inflorescence about 1.5-3.5 cm long, pedicels about 3 mm long. Flowers functionally unisexual. Male flowers 2.5 mm diameter. Calyx 1.5 mm long, lobes triangular, with crisped (twisted) hairs on outer surface. Petals ovate up to twice as long as calyx, obscure in immature flowers. Stamens 7-8, filaments hairy on the lower half, filaments long, anthers exserted well past petals when mature. Disk lobed. Female flowers, none seen.

Fruit a 1-2 valved capsule, obovoid or transversely ellipsoid in outline, about 12-23 mm long, 8-25 mm wide, usually 1-2-lobed (1-2-locular); valves thin, densely sericeous inside, tomentose (covered in short matted hairs) outside. Yellow at maturity. Seed one per locule, oblong, about 15 mm long, 15 mm diam., brick coloured. Aril minute or absent.

Features not available.

Endemic to CEQ, restricted to ranges around Eungella. Grows in rainforest on ridges.

This species is similar to Sarcotoechia serrata, both species share serrate leaf margins, an indumentum of twisted hairs and a minute or absent aril. It is distinguished from this species by the much larger leaflets (4-15 cm in S. heterophylla compared to 2-5.5 cm in S. serrata) and the usually irregularly and shallowly serrulate margins compared with the regular deep serrate margins in S. serrata.