Cleistanthus hylandii Airy Shaw

Airy Shaw, H.K. (1976) Kew Bulletin 31: 379. Type: Claudie River, lat. 12 deg 50 S., long. 143 deg 30 E., rain forest, alt. 10 m, 17 Oct. 1974, Hyland 3099 RFK; holo: K).

Bernie's Cleistanthus

Seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh. Blaze finely layered.

Leaf blades about 8-19 x 3.5-8.5 cm. Petioles transversely wrinkled. Young leaves pinkish.

Flowers about 2 mm diam. Calyx glabrous throughout. Ovary glabrous.

Fruit disintegrating at maturity leaving the stalk and central axis attached to the tree. Capsule (without stalk) about 5 mm long.

Cotyledons remain in the seed coat and the first pair of leaves is produced before the seed coat is shed. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade elliptic or ovate, apex acuminate, base rounded; new growth and undersurface of leaves purple; stipules short, densely clothed in rusty hairs. Seed germination time 8 to 42 days.

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 600 m. Grows in well developed rain forest and gallery forest, particularly in disturbed areas.