Atalaya sericopetala S.T.Reynolds

Reynolds, S.T. (1981) Austrobaileya 1(3): 399. Type: Morehead River, 102.4 km N of Laura, 6 Sep 1971, A.K. Irvine 53 (BRI holo, QRS iso).

Occasionally grows into a small tree but also flowers and fruits as a shrub.

Leaf or leaflet blades about 5-16 x 2.5-7 cm, thick and leathery, leaflet stalks about 0.6-1.2 cm long, swollen at the junction with the compound leaf axis. Leaves very variable, either simple or pinnately compound with about 2-7 leaflets. Leaflets unequal-sided at the base. Petioles swollen at their junction with the twigs. Lateral veins raised on the upper surface of the leaf or leaflet blade, curving inside the blade margin but not forming definite loops. Compound leaf rhachis clothed in pale-coloured simple hairs. Terminal buds clothed in brown hairs.

Panicles up to about 27 cm long. Sepals about 1-3 mm long, outer surface silky hairy. Petals about 2.5-3 x 2 mm on a stalk (claw) about 0.6 mm long, outer surface silky hairy, inner surface with a hairy, bilobed pocket or scale which projects from near the base to about half the height of the petals. Disk completely surrounding the base of the ovary. Stamens or staminodes eight, inserted between the disk and the ovary. Staminal filaments about 2.5-3 mm long, clothed in white hairs. Disk lobed but continuous.

Fruits winged, about 2.5-3.5 x 1-1.5 cm. Seed about 5-7 mm long.

Features not available.

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 500 m. Often grows in open forest but also grows in monsoon forest and some of the drier types of rain forest.

An interesting tree with potential for use in tropical gardens. Features dark green leaves and large panicles of white flowers followed by interesting winged fruits.