Neonauclea glabra (Roxb.) Bakh.f. & Ridsdale

Rubiaceae

Ridsdale, C.E. (1989) Blumea 34: 240.

Maple, Yellow; Yellow Maple; Moody Gum; Hard Leichhardt; Burr Tree; Yellow Hickory

Fresh blaze almost yellow but turning greenish brown on exposure.

Stipules spathulate, broader and rounded towards the apex. Pairs of stipules enclosing the terminal bud. Leaf blades about 7-20 x 4.5-9 cm. Foveoles, if present, small and inconspicuous, opening in a narrow slit.

Flowers attached by their bases to a receptacle to form a perfectly spherical head of flowers. Corolla tube about 4-5 mm long, much longer than the lobes, corolla lobes about 1-1.5 mm long. Anthers shortly stalked, attached below the apex of the corolla tube, anthers not or only very slightly exserted. Ovules numerous on pendulous placentas.

Fruits spherical, about 15 mm diam. Seeds numerous in each aggregate fruit. Seeds winged at each end, seed + wings about 3 x 0.5 mm. Embryo about 0.9-1 x 0.5 mm.

Cotyledons elliptic, about 1-2 mm long, hairy on the upper surface. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade narrowly elliptic, apex acute, base cuneate, glabrous, midrib flush with the upper surface of the leaf blade; stipules narrowly triangular, apex acute. Seed germination time 12 to 242 days.

Occurs in CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 450 m. Grows in well developed lowland rain forest and gallery forest. Also occurs in Malesia.

Produces a useful general purpose timber. Wood specific gravity 0.85 Cause et al. (1989).

Nauclea glabra Roxb., Fl. Ind. ed. 1 2: 121(1824), Type: Roxburgh s. n. (Malesia?). Nauclea gordoniana F.M.Bailey, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Stock. Botany Bulletin 10: 22(1895), Type: Barron River, E. Cowley.