Glochidion hylandii Airy Shaw

Airy Shaw, H.K. (1976) Kew Bulletin 31: 347. Type: Qld. Cook District: Forest Reserve 185, lat. 17 deg 09 S., long. 145 deg 37 E., alt. .., 3 Dec. 1961, Hyland 02224; holo: K; iso: L, QRS.

Buttonwood; Hyland's Buttonwood; Pin Flower Tree

Usually encountered as a small tree less than 30 cm dbh but recorded to 40 cm dbh.

Leaf blades about 5-14 x 2.5-5 cm. Midrib and lateral veins raised on the upper surface of the leaf blade. Leaf bearing twigs clothed in tortuous hairs. Younger leaf blades with hairs on the upper surface.

Male flowers: Inflorescence without a peduncle and strictly axillary. Flowers about 3 mm diam. without a disk. Female flowers: Flowers about 2 mm diam., pedicellate. Style narrowly columnar, much exserted at flowering.

Capsules about 10-lobed, about 12-15 mm diam., resembling a miniature Queensland Blue pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo).

Cotyledons ovate or elliptic, about 8-10 mm long. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves obovate, apex acuminate, acute or obtuse with a mucro at the apex, base cuneate or attenuate, upper surface hairy especially along the midrib, lateral veins about 5-8, forming loops inside the leaf margin; stipules narrowly triangular, hairy. Leaves usually red or purple on the underside. Midrib raised in a channel on the upper surface of the leaf blade. Seed germination time 18 to 50 days.

Occurs in NEQ. Altitudinal range from 650-1100 m. Favoured by disturbance but usually grows in areas which have the potential for good rain forest development.