Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Diploglottis smithii S.T.Reynolds


Tree
Click/tap on images to enlarge
Flower (male?). © Barry Jago
Flowers. © CSIRO
Female flower. © Barry Jago
Fruit dehiscing and arillous seeds. © W. T. Cooper
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
Leaves and Flowers. © CSIRO
10th leaf stage. © CSIRO
Cotyledon stage, hypogeal germination. © CSIRO
Family

Reynolds, S.T. (1981) Austrobaileya 1(3): 393. Type: Cook District: Paronella Park, Mena Creek near Innisfail, Aug 1948, L.S. Smith s.n. (BRI, holotypus).

Common name

Tamarind, Wild; Smith's Tamarind; Tamarind; Tamarind, Smith's; Wild Tamarind

Stem

Sapwood surface corrugated. Blaze odour somewhat obnoxious like Poison Peach (Trema aspera).

Leaves

Leaf bearing twigs longitudinally grooved. Leaflet blades quite large, about 12-24 x 6-8 cm or larger. Young shoots densely clothed in brown hairs. Leaflet stalk grooved on the upper surface and swollen at its junction with the compound leaf rhachis. Midrib slightly raised in a groove on the upper surface of the leaflet blade.

Flowers

Inflorescence scurfy, clothed in pale hairs. Young inflorescences with conspicuous large bracts about 5-35 x 2-7 mm. Flowers about 5 mm diam. Calyx shortly cupular, lobes five, ovate, subequal, flat not concave. Fifth petal usually reduced. Stamens eight.

Fruit

Seeds laterally compressed, about 13 x 10 mm, completely enveloped by the aril. Fruits +/- glabrous, very shortly tomentellous externally.

Seedlings

First pair of leaves elliptic, about 4-7 x 2-3 cm, lateral veins about 9-13 on each side of the midrib. Underside hairy on the midrib and lateral veins. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade usually simple, sometimes compound, leaf or leaflet blade elliptic, apex acuminate; upper surface of the leaf or leaflet blade with a few hairs along the midrib only; petiole, leaflet stalk, rhachis and compound leaf petiole hairy with short, dark brown hairs; terminal bud densely clothed in dark brown hairs. Seed germination time 14 to 28 days.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to NEQ, restricted to the area between Cooktown and Mourilyan. Altitudinal range from sea level to 450 m. Grows in well developed lowland rain forest sometimes ascending the foothills.

Natural History & Notes

A small tree with attractive foliage and large green fruits with red arils. Performs well in cultivation.

RFK Code
349
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