Gossia bidwillii (Benth.) N.Snow & Guymer

Myrtaceae

Snow, N. & Guymer, G.P. (2003) Systematic Botany Monographs 65: 39. Type: Comb. nov.

Scrub Ironwood; Python Tree; Smooth Barked Ironwood; Lignum; Lignum-vitae

A small tree. Bark reddish brown.

Oil dots quite numerous. Midrib grooved or depressed on the upper surface. Lateral veins forming loops inside the blade margin. Leaf blades about 4.8-6.8 x 1.5-3.8 cm.

Petals and sepals pubescent adaxially, margins fimbriate. Petals about 3-4 mm long. Petal oil dots yellowish.

Fruits globular or depressed globular, about 7-8 mm diam., calyx lobes persistent at the apex. Testa membranous. Embryo coiled with the cotyledons +/- in the middle of the spiral. Cotyledons much more slender than the radicle.

Cotyledons lanceolate, about 4-7 x 1-1.5 mm. Oil dots clearly visible with a lens, more numerous near the margin. Stipules occur at the cotyledon and early leaf stages but are extremely small. Hypocotyl swollen. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade ovate or elliptic, about 15-24 x 6-12 mm, apex mucronate; oil dots numerous, clearly visible with a lens. Lateral veins forming loops inside the blade margin. Seed germination time 6 to 16 days.

Endemic to Australia, occurs in NEQ, CEQ and southwards to central New South Wales. Altitudinal range from 300-800 m. Grows in monsoon forest and similar dry rain forest situations.

Also refer to the Notes under Gossia sp. Green Bark (B.Hyland 25370RFK).

Austromyrtus sp. (Forty Mile Scrub GCS 1785), : (), Type: Proivisional name (Hispid Name.). Austromyrtus bidwillii (Bentham) Burret, Notizb. Bot. Gart. Berlin_Dahlem 15: 501(1941). Myrtus bidwillii Bentham, Flora Australiensis 3: 275(1867), Type: Queensland, Wide Bay, J.C. Bidwill s. n.; Holo: K. Myrtus racemulosa var. conferta Bentham, Flora Australiensis 3: 276(1867), Type: Queensland, Port Denison, E.F.A. Fitzalan s.n.; Holo: K; Iso: K, MEL. Myrtus racemulosa Bentham, Flora Australiensis 3: 276(1867), Type: Queensland, Edgecombe Bay, J. Dallachy s.n.; Lecto: MEL; iso: K. Austromyrtus racemulosa Burret, Notizb. Bot. Gart. Berlin_Dahlem 15: 501(1941).