Alectryon tomentosus (F.Muell.) Radlk.

Radlkofer, L.A.T. (1879) Actes du Congres Internationale de Botanistes .. Amsterdam for 1877 : 117.

Woolly Rambutan; Bed-jacket; Hairy Alectryon; Hairy Bird's Eye; Red Jacket

A small tree seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh. Blaze layering usually very conspicuous.

Young twigs longitudinally grooved and clothed in yellow +/- erect tortuous hairs. Leaflet blades about 4-14.5 x 2-6.5 cm. Leaflet stalks quite short.

Calyx (perianth) 5-lobed, about 1.5 mm long, villous. Petals absent. Anthers red. Disk red.

Capsules about 8-22 mm diam, sessile, with 1-3 knob-like lobes, densely woolly on the outer surface. Seeds black. Aril cupular, but much larger than and almost obscuring the seed, granular and red.

Cotyledons +/- spathulate, about 10-12 mm long. First pair of leaves trifoliolate, the leaflets lobed or coarsely toothed. At the tenth leaf stage: leaflet blades coarsely toothed, terminal bud clothed in yellowish, erect, tortuous hairs. Seed germination time 24 days.

Endemic to Australia, occurs in CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards as far as coastal central New South Wales. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 950 m. Grows in monsoon forest and drier, more seasonal rain forest.