Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Syzygium banksii (Britten & S.Moore ex S.Moore) B.Hyland


Shrub (woody or herbaceous, 1-6 m tall)
Tree
Click/tap on images to enlarge
Flowers [not vouchered]. © G. Sankowsky
Leaves and flowers [not vouchered]. © G. Sankowsky
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
10th leaf stage. © CSIRO
Cotyledon stage, hypogeal germination. © CSIRO
Family

Hyland, B.P.M. (1983) Australian Journal of Botany Supplementary Series 9: 58.

Common name

Satinash, Joseph's; Joseph's Satinash

Stem

Often poorly formed and multistemmed but under favourable conditions grows into a reasonable tree. Bark coarsely flaky particularly on larger trees. Blaze deep, dark red on large trees.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 8-12 x 2-4 cm, petioles about 0.3-1.3 cm long. Oil dots visible with a lens if not visible to the naked eye.

Flowers

Bracts caducous, absent at anthesis. Calyx tube (hypanthium) gradually tapering into the pedicel, calyx tube (hypanthium) + pedicel about 4.5-6.5 mm long, calyx tube (hypanthium) about 2.5-5 mm diam., calyx lobes acute, incurved and hooked at the apex, about 0.4-0.5 mm long. Petals orbicular, about 1.5 mm diam., oil dots scarce, usually fewer than ten per petal, concentrated towards the base. Outer staminal filaments about 4-5 mm long, anthers +/- reniform, broader than long, about 0.6 x 0.7 mm, opening in divergent slits which are almost contiguous at the apex, gland terminal. Ovules about 5 or 6 per locule, placentas axile, central, ovules horizontal to radiating. Style about 6-7 mm long, approximating the stamens.

Fruit

Fruits ellipsoid, about 12-15 x 8-11 mm, calyx lobes persistent, small and inconspicuous, about 0.2-0.4 mm long, pericarp fleshy. Seed solitary, about 9 x 6 mm, testa weakly adhering to the pericarp but free from the superposed, uniformly textured cotyledons. Radicle lateral, cotyledonary stipules present, difficult to distinguish.

Seedlings

Cataphylls about 2 or 3 pairs. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade linear, apex acuminate or obtuse, base attenuate, glabrous; oil dots sparse, often difficult to see; stem 4-angled or shortly 4-winged. Seed germination time 29 to 51 days.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from sea level to 100 m. Grows in vine thickets and beach forest on coastal sand dunes and on old beach lines.

Natural History & Notes

Generally a poorly formed uncommon tree (though locally abundant) of no commercial value. Could be of value in sand stabilization.

Wood specific gravity 1.01. Hyland (1983).

Synonyms
Eugenia banksii Britten & S.Moore ex S.Moore, Journ. Bot. 40: 26 (1902), Type: Qld, Endeavour River, 1770, Banks & Solander 52; holo: BM; iso: MEL, BRI.
RFK Code
679
Copyright © CSIRO 2020, all rights reserved.