Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Monoon patinatum (Jessup) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders


Tree
Click/tap on images to enlarge
Flowers. © A. Ford
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
10th leaf stage. © CSIRO
Cotyledon and 1st leaf stage, hypogeal germination. © CSIRO
Cotyledon and 1st leaf stage, hypogeal germination. © CSIRO
Family

Jessup, L.W. (2007) Flora of Australia 2: 450. Type: Queensland, Malbon Thompson Forest Reserve, 12 April 2006, A. Ford & M. Bradford, AF4811. Holo: BRI.

Stem

Conspicuous darker fibrous stripes visible in both the inner and outer blaze. Subrhytidome layer almost black. Blaze darkening on exposure.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 8-19 x 2.5-6 cm. Numerous oil dots visible with a lens. Oak grain in the twigs and expanded rays in the twig bark. Twig bark strong and fibrous when stripped.

Flowers

Sepals about 2-2.5 mm long. Petals about 13 mm long. Stamens numerous, anthers sessile, about 1 mm long. Carpels more than 15, each carpel about 0.75 mm long. Style about 1.25 mm long, stigma hairy.

Fruit

Fruiting carpels +/- globular, about 25-32 x 21-30 mm, on a stalk about 7-10 mm long. Seeds about 20-25 x 15-20 mm, one per fruiting carpel. Testa hard, ribbed. Embryo minute, about 1 mm long.

Seedlings

Usually two cataphylls produced before the first true leaves. First pair of leaves ovate, about 7-8 x 3-4 cm, apex acuminate, base cuneate. Numerous oil dots visible with a lens. Upper surface shiny, glabrous. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves ovate or elliptic, apex acuminate, base cuneate to obtuse, upper surface glabrous, lower surface with hairs on the midrib only; very small oil dots just visible with a lens; petiole and stem with a few scattered hairs, terminal bud densely hairy. Seed germination time 28 to 88 days.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to NEQ, restricted to the area between Cairns and Mission Beach. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 200 m. Grows in lowland rain forest.

Natural History & Notes

Food plant for the larval stages of the Green Spotted Triangle, Pale Green Triangle and the Green Triangle Butterflies. Sankowsky & Neilsen (2000).

Synonyms

Polyalthia patinata Jessup, Flora of Australia 2: 450. Type: Queensland, Malbon Thompson Forest Reserve, 12 April 2006, A. Ford & M. Bradford, AF4811. Holo: BRI (2007). Polyalthia sp. (Wyvuri BH 2632RFK), HISPID Phrase Name.

RFK Code
655
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