''Flindersia collina'', commonly known as broad-leaved leopard tree, leopard ash, bastard crow's ash or leatherwood, 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 els ...

to north-eastern Australia. It usually has

pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, an ...

leaves with between three and seven elliptical to spatula-shaped leaves,

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 In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is ...

s of white flowers and fruit studded with rough points.

Description

''Flindersia collina'' is a tree that typically grows to a height of . Its bark is shed in oval flakes leaving shallow depressions. The leaves are arranged in more or less opposite pairs and are usually pinnate with between three and seven elliptical to egg-shaped leaflets with the narrower end towards the base. The leaflets are mostly long and wide and

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

. Simple leaves, when present, are a similar shape to the leaflets, long and wide on a petiole long. The flowers are arranged in panicles long and there are usually at least a few male-only flowers. The flowers are about wide, 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 coined ...

s about long and 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 and long. Flowering occurs through the year, but mainly in spring and the fruit is a woody capsule long containing winged seeds long.

Taxonomy

''Flindersia collina'' was first formally described in 1898 by

Frederick Manson Bailey Frederick Manson Bailey (8 March 1827 – 25 June 1915) was a botanist active in Australia, who made valuable contributions to the characterisation of the flora of Queensland. He was known by his middle name, Manson. Early life Bailey was b ...

in the ''Queensland Agricultural Journal''.

Distribution and habitat

Broad-leaved leopard tree grows in rainforest and dry scrub from near sea level to an altitude of and is found between the Rinyirru National Park in far northern Queensland to Toonumbar in far north-eastern New South Wales.

Conservation status

''Flindersia collina'' 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 prov ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q8563810 collina Sapindales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Taxa named by Frederick Manson Bailey Trees of Australia Plants described in 1898