Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition
Diospyros peninsularis Jessup
Jessup, L.W. (2014) Austrobaileya 9(2): 181-182. Type: Queensland. Cook District: N bank of Pascoe River approx. 1 km inland from river mouth, 21 November 1977, J.G.Tracey 14396.
Flowers and fruits as a shrub to tree to 10 m tall.
Male inflorescence 1-several in leaf axils, each terminating with 3 flowers. Male flowers pedicel 0-1 mm long; calyx tube 1-2.5 mm long, lobes 3, 1.5-2 mm long; corolla tube 5-6 mm long, lobes mostly 3, 1.5-2 mm long, appressed pubescent outside, glabrous inside; stamens 2-3, anthers 2.5-3 mm long; filaments 2.5-3 mm long, free from tube; pistillode 0.5-0.8 mm long. Female inflorescence, flowers solitary, peduncle 0.5-0.7 mm long, pedicel to 0.2 mm long; calyx tube 1.3-1.5 mm long, lobes 3(-4), 1-1.3 mm long; corolla tube 4-4.5 mm long, lobes 3 or 4, 1.4-1.6 mm long; staminodes absent; ovary 2 mm long, stigmas 2 or 3.
Cotyledons orbicular to broadly ovate, about 17-20 x 15-19 mm. Petioles very short. Stem above the cotyledons clothed in rusty hairs. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blades about 35-55 x 10-15 mm, upper and lower surfaces clothed in long prostrate brown hairs, petioles short, about 1-2 mm long. Stems and petioles densely clothed in simple brown hairs. Seed germination time 21 days.
Occurs in CYP and NEQ from north of about Cooktown. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 400 m. Grows as an understory shrub in a variety of rain forest types, but is more often found in monsoon forest.
Diospyros sp. Bamaga (B.P.Hyland 2517) [Provisional Phrase Name]. Diospyros sp. Kuranda (L.J.Webb 7265A) [Provisional Phrase Name].