Yellow bean
Growing in Cairns Botanic Gardens
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Ormosia
Species:
O. ormondii
Binomial name
Ormosia ormondii
Synonyms[3]
  • Podopetalum ormondii F.Muell.

Ormosia ormondii, commonly known as yellow bean, is a tree in the legume family Fabaceae which is endemic to northeastern Queensland, Australia.

Description

The yellow bean is medium-sized tree growing up to 25 m (82 ft) high, the trunk is brownish or khaki in colour and may be buttressed.[4][5] The compound leaves may be whorled on the twigs, and carry 5 to 9 dark green leaflets.[4][5][6] The leaflet blades measure up to 21 cm (8.3 in) long by 8 cm (3.1 in) wide.[4]

The inflorescence is a panicle produced either in the leaf axils or at the end of the twigs.[5][6] Masses of pink flowers, each 25–30 mm (0.98–1.18 in) long, may be seen from October to January.[5][6]

The fruit is a dehiscent woody pod up to 90 mm (3.5 in) long by 20 mm (0.79 in) wide, with a persistent calyx at the base.[4][5][6] They contain up to 5 bright red seeds around 10–14 mm (0.39–0.55 in) long.[4][5][6]

Taxonomy

This species was first described in 1882 by the Victorian Government botanist Ferdinand von Mueller as Podopetalum ormondii, and published in his work Systematic Census of Australian Plants. In 1943 the American botanist Elmer Drew Merrill published a paper in the journal Sargentia, in which he moved the species to the genus Ormosia.[2][3][7]

Distribution and habitat

The yellow bean is endemic to Queensland and occurs in coastal and sub-coastal areas from Juunju Daarrba Nhirrpan National Park north of Cooktown, to Innisfail. There is also a small outlier population in the McIlwraith Range on Cape York Peninsula about 270 km (170 mi) to the northwest of Cooktown.[5][8] It grows in well developed rainforest, often beside rivers and streams,[4][7] at altitudes from sea level to about 500 m (1,600 ft).[4][5]

Conservation

This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern.[1] As of 31 January 2023, it has not been assessed by the IUCN.

References

  1. 1 2 "Species profile—Ormosia ormondii". Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Queensland Government. 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Ormosia ormondii". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Ormosia ormondii (F.Muell.) Merr. ex H.Y.Chen". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Ormosia ormondii". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cooper, Wendy; Cooper, William T. (June 2004). Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia: Nokomis Editions. p. 214. ISBN 9780958174213.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Jones, David L. (1986). Rainforest Plants of Australia. Bowgowlah, NSW, Australia: Reed Books. p. 157. ISBN 0-7301-0381-1.
  7. 1 2 Merril, E.D.; Chen, Luetta (1943). "The Chinese and Indo-Chinese species of Ormosia". Sargentia. 3: 79. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "Search: species: Ormosia ormondii | Occurrence records". Australasian Virtual Herbarium. Australian Government. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
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