''Flindersia maculosa'', commonly known as leopardwood or leopard tree, is a species of tree in the family

Rutaceae The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in BoDD – Botanical Der ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to inland areas of eastern Australia. It has mottled bark, simple leaves arranged in opposite pairs, white to cream-coloured flowers and fruit studded with rough points.

Description

''Flindersia maculosa'' is a tree that typically grows to a height of , developing from a tangled mass of spiny branches in the juvenile stage. The trunk is mottled due to the bark shedding in patches. The leaves are simple, arranged in opposite pairs, narrow oblong to lance-shaped or linear, long and wide on a petiole long. The upper surface of the leaf is shiny and dark green, the lower side dull and paler. The flowers are arranged in

panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...

s long on the ends of branchlets. The

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s are long, the

petal Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usuall ...

s white to cream-coloured and long. Flowering occurs from September to December and the fruit is a woody capsule studded with rough points and that opens into five section, releasing winged seeds about long.

Taxonomy

Leopardwood was first formally described in 1848 by

John Lindley John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist. Early years Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...

in Thomas Mitchell's ''Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia''. In 1963,

George Bentham George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...

changed the name to ''Flindersia maculosa'' in ''

Flora Australiensis ''Flora Australiensis: a description of the plants of the Australian Territory'', more commonly referred to as ''Flora Australiensis'', and also known by its standard abbreviation ''Fl. Austral.'', is a seven-volume flora of Australia published be ...

''.

Distribution and habitat

''Flindersia maculosa'' grows on stony hills and sand plains from Hughenden in central Queensland to the

Riverina The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation ...

district in south-western New South Wales and from

Walgett Walgett is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is near the junctions of the Barwon and Namoi Rivers and the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways. In 2016, Walgett had a population of 2,145. In the 2 ...

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' () by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting ...

and

Broken Hill Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It ...

in that state.

Uses

Leopardwood is a useful fodder tree in drought periods but as the tree does not recuperate well, it should only be pollarded. The wood of the tree is sometimes used to construct fence posts and pick handles. Nectar from the buds, and gum from the bark has been used to make a sweet drink. The drink from the gum has been used as a remedy for diarrhea.

Ecology

Larvae of the moth ''

Opodiphthera astrophela ''Opodiphthera'' is a genus of moths from the family Saturniidae that are endemic to Australia. ''Opodiphthera'' makes up the majority of Australia's saturniid moths. The genus contains the emperor gum moth ''(O. eucalypti)'', one of Australi ...

'' feed on the leopardwood tree. An unidentified beetle in the genus '' Anilara'' can cause serious damage to the leopardwood tree. The

mistletoe Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemiparasitic plants in the order Santalales. They are attached to their host tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium, through which they extract water and nutrients from the host plant. ...

'' Amyema lucasii'' grows almost exclusively on the ''F. maculosa.

Conservation status

''Flindersia maculosa'' is classified as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government ''

Nature Conservation Act 1992 The ''Nature Conservation Act 1992'' is an act of the Parliament of Queensland, Australia, that, together with subordinate legislation, provides for the legislative protection of Queensland's threatened biota. As originally published, it pro ...

''.

Gallery

Image:Flindersia maculosa00.jpg, drawing by

Margaret Flockton Margaret Lilian Flockton (29 September 1861 Sussex – 12 August 1953 Sydney), is most commonly recognized as a botanical artist famous for her botanical illustrations of ''"The Forest Flora of New South Wales"'' (some 300 plates), ''"A Cr ...

Image:Mutawintji4 - Eagle Nest.JPG, A

wedge-tailed eagle The wedge-tailed eagle (''Aquila audax'') is the largest bird of prey in the continent of Australia. It is also found in southern New Guinea to the north and is distributed as far south as the state of Tasmania. Adults of this species have lo ...

's nest in a fruiting leopardwood tree at

Mutawintji National Park The Mutawintji National Park, formerly the Mootwingee National Park, is a protected national park that is located in the Far West region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park is situated approximately west of Sydney and ab ...

Image:Flindersia maculosa Mt Oxley.JPG, Bark

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q967939 maculosa Sapindales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Trees of Australia Plants described in 1848 Taxa named by John Lindley