Mountain quandong
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Oxalidales
Family: Elaeocarpaceae
Genus: Elaeocarpus
Species:
E. elliffii
Binomial name
Elaeocarpus elliffii

Elaeocarpus elliffii, commonly known as mountain quandong,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Elaeocarpaceae and is endemic to north-east Queensland. It is a tree, sometimes with buttress roots at the base of the trunk, narrow egg-shaped leaves often with large domatia, flowers with five white petals with lobed tips, and more or less spherical fruit.

Description

Elaeocarpus elliffii is a tree that typically grows to a height of 20–40 m (66–131 ft), often with buttress roots at the base of the trunk. The leaves are narrow egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 60–90 mm (2.4–3.5 in) long and 15–25 mm (0.59–0.98 in) wide on a slender petiole 10–17 mm (0.39–0.67 in) long. The leaves usually develop up to five large domatia and have wavy-toothed edges. The flowers are borne in groups of up to twelve on a rachis up to 40 mm (1.6 in) long, each flower on a pedicel 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long. The flowers have five egg-shaped sepals 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and 1.5–2 mm (0.059–0.079 in) wide. The five petals are white, elliptic to oblong, 4.5–5 mm (0.18–0.20 in) long and 1.2–2 mm (0.047–0.079 in) wide with six to nine irregular short teeth on the tip, and there are thirty to thirty-five stamens. Flowering occurs from October to September and the fruit is a more or less spherical or oval drupe 12–14 mm (0.47–0.55 in) long and 10–11 mm (0.39–0.43 in) wide, present from July to October.[3][4]

Taxonomy

Elaeocarpus elliffii was first formally described in 1984 by Bernard Hyland and Mark James Elgar Coode in the Kew Bulletin from material collected in 1970. The specific epithet (elleffii) honours Maurice Elliff (1921–1981), an employee of the herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew from 1977 to 1981.[3][5]

Distribution and habitat

Elaeocarpus elliffii is endemic to north-east Queensland, and is widespread from near Cooktown to Tully where it grows in rainforest at altitudes of 200–1,200 m (660–3,940 ft).[4]

Conservation status

Mountain quandong is listed as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Elaeocarpus elliffii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Species profile —Elaeocarpus elliffii". Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  3. 1 2 Hyland, Bernard; Coode, Mark J. (1984). "Elaeocarpus in Australia and New Zealand". Kew Bulletin. 39 (3): 577–580.
  4. 1 2 "Elaeocarpus elliffii". Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  5. ↑ "Elaeocarpus elliffii". APNI. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
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