Syzygium mackinnonianum (B.Hyland) Craven & Biffin

Craven, L.A., Biffin, E. & Ashton, P.S. (2006) Blumea 51(1): 138.

Satinash, Rocky River; Rocky River Satinash

Bark sparsely but coarsely flaky, like Syzygium gustavioides. Blaze has a purplish sheen when the living bark is stripped off.

Leaf blades about 5.5-9.5 x 2.7-4.7 cm, petioles about 0.3-0.6 cm long. Oil dots visible with a lens if not visible to the naked eye. Oil dots frequently sparse, occasionally numerous. Usually two somewhat obscure intramarginal veins.

Inflorescence bracts deciduous; present or absent at anthesis. Calyx tube (hypanthium) + pedicel about 3-4 mm long, calyx tube (hypanthium) about 2-2.5 mm diam., calyx lobes +/- uniform, rounded, concave, about 0.5 mm long. Petals +/- orbicular, about 1.5 mm diam.; oil dots comparatively large and conspicuous, about 40 or more per petal. Outer staminal filaments about 0.5 mm long, anthers wider than long, about 0.2 x 0.4 mm, gland comparatively large, conspicuous, terminal. Placentas confined to the apex of each locule. Ovules pendulous, about four per locule. Style about 1.4-1.6 mm long.

Fruits hemispherical to depressed globular, attaining about 35-40 x 40 mm, calyx lobes deciduous, but the apex of the fruit marked with a tonsure-like scar attaining about 20-30 mm diam., pericarp rather leathery, brittle, granular in texture. Seed about 15-20 x 20-30 mm. Cotyledons scarcely separable, joined by the haustorium-like intrusion from the apex of the fruit, so that the cotyledons are +/- ruminate or at least texturally different towards the centre.

Cataphylls about 3 or 4 pairs. At the tenth leaf stage: seedling completely glabrous, leaf blade lanceolate or ovate, apex acute, base cuneate, a double intramarginal vein present; oil dots numerous, almost visible to the naked eye and clearly visible with a lens. Seed germination time 40 days.

Endemic to CYP, restricted to the Iron Range and McIlwraith Range areas. Altitudinal range from sea level to 500 m. Grows in well developed lowland and upland rain forest.

This species is not used commercially at present but produces millable logs that could be sawn for structural timber. Wood specific gravity 0.91. Hyland (1983).