Symplocos stawellii F.Muell.

Mueller, F.J.H. von (1865) Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 5: 60. Type: Queensland. Rockingham Bay. Dallachy.

White Hazelwood

Hard, brown, brittle inclusions readily visible in the blaze. Usually encountered as a small tree scarcely exceeding 30 cm dbh.

Leaf blades about 6-15 x 2.5-5.8 cm. Midrib cream, shallowly channelled or +/- flush with the upper surface. Lateral veins forming loops well inside the blade margin. Teeth small and inconspicuous, more obvious towards the apex.

Inflorescence up to 6 cm long. Calyx lobes about 0.5 mm long. Corolla about 2.5-3 mm long. Stamens about 30-50. Style glabrous, about 4-4.5 mm long.

Fruits ellipsoid or ovoid, about 4.5-7 mm long, calyx lobes persistent at the apex. Endocarp thick and hard, surface longitudinally ribbed, stone about 5-5.5 x 3.5 mm.

Cotyledons linear, about 10-15 x 3 mm, petioles about 1 mm long. First pair of leaves ovate, elliptic or obovate, about 8-15 x 4-12 mm, margin with 1-5 teeth on each side towards the apex. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves elliptic or narrowly elliptic, about 70 x 20-25 mm, apex acute or mucronate, base attenuate, upper 3/4 of margin toothed, teeth serrate with a pointed hooked apex. Petiole about 5 mm long. Seed germination time 91 to 157 days.

Occurs in NEQ, CEQ and southwards to coastal central New South Wales. Altitudinal range from 20-1000 m. Grows in well developed upland rain forest. Also occurs in New Guinea.

Produces a useful general purpose timber.

Wood specific gravity 0.54. Cause et al. (1989).

Symplocos stawellii F.Muell. var. stawellii, White, C.T., Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 50: 82 (1939).  Symplocos cochinchinensis var. stawellii (F.Muell.) Noot., Leiden Bot. Ser. 1: 161 (1975).