Melicope xanthoxyloides (F.Muell.) T.G.Hartley

Rutaceae

Hartley, T.G. (2001) Allertonia 8: 119.

Yellow Evodia

Usually grows into a small tree seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh but also flowers and fruits as a shrub. Blaze odour generally unpleasant.

Leaflets sessile or with very short stalks. Leaflet blades about 12-24 x 4.5-9 cm, middle leaflets larger than the lateral leaflets. Compound leaf petiole grooved or channelled on the upper surface, sometimes winged. Oil dots visible with a lens if not visible to the naked eye. Young shoots clothed in pale brown or yellowish hairs.

Flowers about 4-5 mm diam. Petals glabrous on both the outer and inner surfaces. Staminal filaments glabrous. Disk glabrous or slightly pubescent. Ovary pubescent.

Individual fruiting carpels about 3-4 mm long. Seed about 2 mm diam. Aril shiny black on the outer surface, completely enclosing the seed. Testa coarsely rugose.

Cotyledon margins finely toothed. Oil dots small, visible with a lens. At the tenth leaf stage: lateral leaflets unequal-sided at the base, margin crenate; oil dots small, numerous; petiole winged; stem and petiole with pale erect hairs. Seed germination time 74 to 288 days.

Endemic to CYP, NEQ and CEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1200 m. Grows as an understory tree in well developed rain forest. This species is favoured by disturbance and is a characteristic component of rain forest regrowth.

Ampacus xanthoxyloides (F.Muell.) Kuntze, Revisio Generum Plantarum 1: 98(1891). Euodia xanthoxyloides F.Muell., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 4: 155(1864), Type: Queensland, Rockingham Bay, 19 May 1864, Dallachy; lecto: MEL; iso: NSW. Leaf material only. Fide Hartley (2001). Euodia alata F.Muell., Fragm. 7: 142(1871), Type: Queensland, Herberts River, 28 Apr. 1865, Dallachy; holo: MEL; iso: L, NSW. Fide hartley (2001). Euodia bakeriana Domin, Biblioth Bot. 89: 291(1927), Type: Queensland, Harveys Creek, Dec. 1909, Domin; holo: PR. Fide Hartley (2001).