Medicosma sessiliflora (C.T.White) T.G.Hartley

Rutaceae

Hartley, T.G. (1985) Australian Journal of Botany 33: 40.

Seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh.

Leaf blades about 6-19 x 1.8-7.5 cm. Lateral veins form a very definite series of loops, almost forming an intramarginal vein, inside the blade margin.

Pedicels nil. Petals about 5-6.5 mm long. Stamens eight, dimorphic, four long and four short. Anther filaments hairy, spiny glands present just below the anthers on the longer stamens. Style hairy towards the base.

Follicles sparsely pubescent towards the apex or glabrous, 6-10 mm long. Seeds about 5 x 3 mm, testa sparsely tuberculate and minutely papillate.

Cotyledons elliptic, about 12 x 8 mm, oil dots large, visible to the naked eye. Margin crenulate with 30-35 minute, rounded teeth on each side. First leaves oblanceolate, margin serrulate with 4-6 teeth on each side, oil dots conspicuous. Hypocotyl gland dotted, glabrous, longitudinally ribbed with the ridges running down from the point of attachment of the cotyledonary petioles. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade obovate, glabrous, lateral veins about 7-9 on each side of the midrib. Midrib raised on the upper surface of the leaf blade. Petioles very short or nil. Seed germination time 42 days.

Probably endemic to NEQ, known only from Pieter Botte Logging Area and the southern parts of the Daintree River National Park. Altitudinal range from 450-950 m. Grows as an understory tree in well developed upland and mountain rain forest.

Melicope sessiliflora C.T.White, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 47: 54(1936), Type: Mossman River Gorge, in rain-forest, L.J.Brass, No. 2108.