Cynometra ramiflora L.

Linnaeus, C. von (1753) Species Plantarum 2: 382. Type: Habitat in India.

Cynometra; Wrinkle Pod Mangrove

Grows into a  tree to 15 m, dbh to 60 cm dbh, buttressed, blaze red.

New leaves pink. Leaves compound with one pair of leaflets, rarely two pairs. Basal leaflet blades if present about 1.7-8.2 x 0.9-4.6 cm, terminal leaflet blades 6.3-21 x 3-9.8 cm; unequal sided, leaflet stalks 2-6 mm long, mostly enclosed by leaflet base. Stipules small and inconspicuous or absent. Lateral veins forming loops well inside the blade margin, 8-12 pairs.

Inflorescence axis to 20 mm long, up to 20-flowered. Pedicels about 6.5-12.5 mm long. Sepals 4, about 5 mm long, apex entire or few-toothed, white. Petals 5, about 5.5-6 mm long, white. Stamens 10. Ovary hairy. Ovules 1-3 per ovary.

Fruit on a 3-10 mm long pedicel, an asymmetrical, somewhat globose nut, but flattened on the ventral side, 38-52 x 37-42 x 28.5-40 mm, rust brown coloured, woody, rugose, beak short near apex of dorsal side, seed solitary.

Cotyledons thick and fleshy, at or slightly above ground level. Cataphylls about 5 or 6 before the first true leaves. First pair of leaves compound with two leaflets. At the tenth leaf stage: compound leaves with leaflets, each leaflet blade about 6.5 x 2.5 cm. Leaflet stalk absent or very short.

Occurs in CYP, known only from a few collections from the tip of Cape York, and on Christmas Island. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 20 m. Grows in mangrove forest and adjacent rain forest, particularly areas prone to seasonal flooding. Also occurs in Asia, Malesia and the Pacific islands.

 Description adapted from Cooper (2015).