Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Zieria madida Duretto & P.I.Forst.


Herb (herbaceous or woody, under 1 m tall)
Shrub (woody or herbaceous, 1-6 m tall)
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Branches, leaves and flowers. © A. Ford
Family

Duretto, M.F. & Forster, P.I. (2007) Austrobaileya 7(3): 519. Type: Queensland. Cook District: Thornton Peak, in valley between north and south peaks near campsite on Hilda Creek, 25 September 1984, J.R.Clarkson 5587, (holo: BRI; iso: CANB, HO, K, L, NSW, QRS).

Stem

Shrub to 2 m tall, forming an open compact bush. Stems erect to somewhat decumbent; branches with prominently raised decurrent leaf bases, not or slightly verrucose, glabrous or simple and/or stellate glabrescent. Older branches not or slightly lenticellate and corky.

Leaves

Leaves palmately trifoliolate, petiole 8-23 mm long, slightly verrucose, glabrous or stellate glabrescent; leaflets elliptic to obovate 15-29 x 5-14 mm, glabrous, obtuse.

Flowers

Inflorescence axillary, shorter than the subtending leaf, 3-10 -flowered, with 1-3 open at a time; peduncle 4-13 mm, prominently ridged, not glandular verrucose, glabrous or glabrescent; pedicels 1.5-2.2 mm, prominently ridged, glandular verrucose, stellate tomentose. Sepals broadly deltate. Petals elliptic, 3.5-3.7 x 2 mm, white to pale pink, stellate pubescent. Ovary glabrous; style with scattered stellate hairs.

Fruit

Smoth, glabrous, 4 x 2.5 mm.

Seedlings

Features not available.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to NEQ, on and around Thornton Peak and Mt Pieter Botte. Occurs in exposed, windswept sutations on granite over 900 m alt.

Natural History & Notes

Previously included in Z. montana but distinguished from that species by the leaflets that are entire (versus crenulate), fewer flowers per inflorescence (3-10, versus 10-20) and pedicels that are prominently ridged and glandular verrucose (versus slightly ridged and not glandular verrucose).

RFK Code
3572
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