Cossinia australiana S.T.Reynolds

Reynolds, S.T. (1982) Austrobaileya 1(5): 486. Type: Wide Bay District: Bingera, 26 Oct 1948, L.S. Smith 4140 (BRI holotypus).

Shrub or tree to 7 metres; buds and young stems tomentose with whitish-brown hairs; stems tomentose, sparsely hairy or glabrous; stipules absent.

Pinnately compound with terminal leaflet sometimes absent, alternately arranged, 35-125mm long; petiole 15-45mm, winged in juvenile; rachis usually winged; leaflets 3-5(7), opposite, entire; lamina oblong-elliptic to lanceolate or oblanceolate, 20-75mm by 10-30mm; apex acute; base cuneate or obtuse, usually oblique; adaxial surface dull dark-green, glabrous or sparsely hairy; abaxial surface paler green, dull, densely covered with whitish stellate hairs; midrib hairy on both surfaces; pinnately veined with 10-20 main lateral veins each side of midrib; laterals impressed and prominent adaxially, raised and prominent abaxially; petiolule 0-4mm.

Inflorescences axillary or terminal, thyrsoid corymbs; peduncles, pedicels and rachises tomentose; flowers functionally unisexual, zygomorphic, 10-12mm diameter, white; calyx deeply 5-lobed, tomentose; petals 4-6, 5mm long; male flowers with a rudimentary ovary and 8 stamens; filaments up to 7mm long; female flowers with a 3-locular ovary and 8 staminodes; filaments 4mm long.

A dry 3-lobed capsule 15-20mm long, hairy, inflated, brown, inner surface orange brown; seeds 2, brown to black, borne on the central axis; aril absent.

Features not available.

Endemic to Queensland. Occurs in CEQ (at the southern end), and southwards into south eastern Queensland near Kingaroy. Altitudinal range from 20 to 700 m. Grows in vine forests and dry scrub.

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