Macropteranthes fitzalanii F.Muell.

Mueller, F.J.H. von (1874), Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 8(66): 160. Type: "In montibus portui Denisonii vicinis; Fitzalan." Lectotype: "Port Denison, Fitzalan (MEL 1005516, lectotype; K, isolectotype)." Byrnes, N. Contributions from the Queensland Herbarium (1977), 20: 59-60.

Northern Bonewood

Shrub or small tree to 15 m high, evergreen. Bark smooth, brown, shedding long white strips. Branchlets with appressed hairs, becoming hairless.

Leaves simple and opposite or subopposite, occasionally alternate, usually not crowded. Stipules 2, free, lanceolate, 0.1-0.3 mm long. Petioles 4-8 mm long, with appressed hairs, becoming hairless. Leaf blade broadly elliptic or orbicular, occasionally obovate, 1.5-6 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, base cuneate or attenuate, margin entire with 1 or 2 glands along each margin near base of lamina or several scattered along margins, apex obtuse, retuse or emarginate with a small tuft of hairs in notch or at tip (usually visible in young leaves). Domatia absent. Leaves sparsely hairy with appressed hairs, becoming hairless. Lateral veins 5-9 pairs; translucent dots small, numerous, ± visible under magnification.

Inflorescence axillary, solitary or a two-flowered umbel. Flowers bisexual, 5- merous, actinomorphic, 1-1.5 cm diameter. Pedicels c. 4 mm long. Calyx obscured by two persistent bracteoles c. 1 cm long fused to the hypanthium, bracteoles as long as calyx. Calyx produced into a tube above the ovary with five shallow triangular lobes, lobes and tube c. 5 mm long, green, calyx tube glabrous, calyx lobes with appressed hairs on outer surface. Petals obovate, 5-7 mm long, pubescent, free, white. Stamens 10, exserted, attached in two series or rings to the inner surface of the hypanthium, the stamens of the upper ring alternating with the corolla lobes while the stamens of the lower ring are opposite the corolla lobes. Disc narrow, ovary inferior, 1-locular, style free.

Mature fruits 4 winged with persistent bracteoles adhering to calyx and terminating in enlarged calyx lobes, 1.6-2.5 cm long, wings 6-12 mm wide, hairless, yellowish. Seed solitary.

Features not available.

Occurs in CEQ, predominantly along the east coast between Gladstone and Proserpine, in dry rainforest, littoral rainforest and vine thickets.

This species is very similar to Macropteranthes leiocaulis and distinguishing features are discussed under that species. This profile information and associated coding has been reproduced from Pedley (1990) and Harden et al. (2014).