''Flindersia'' is a genus of 17 species of small to large trees in the family

Rutaceae The Rutaceae () is a family (biology), family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in Bo ...

. They have simple or

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, and ...

leaves, flowers arranged in

panicle In botany, 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 p ...

s at or near the ends of branchlets and fruit that is a woody capsule containing winged seeds. They grow naturally in Australia, the

Moluccas The Maluku Islands ( ; , ) or the Moluccas ( ; ) are an archipelago in the eastern part of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located in West Melanesi ...

, New Guinea and New Caledonia.

Description

Trees in the genus ''Flindersia'' have simple or pinnate leaves with up to sixteen leaflets, the side leaflets arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are arranged in panicles at the ends of branchlets or in upper leaf

axil A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, fl ...

s and have five

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 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s and five

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s. The flowers are

bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...

, or sometimes only have

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s. There are five stamens opposite the sepals, alternating with five

staminode In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen, which means that it does not produce pollen.Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; ''A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent''; Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co ...

s. The

ovary The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/ oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are end ...

has five

locules A locule (: locules) or loculus (; : loculi) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usually refers to a chamber within an ovary ( ...

and is more or less spherical with five shallow lobes and there are between four and six

ovule In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells. It consists of three parts: the ''integument'', forming its outer layer, the ''nucellus'' (or remnant of the sporangium, megasporangium), ...

s in each locule. The fruit is a woody capsule splitting into five and contains brown, winged seeds.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Flindersia'' was first formally described in 1814 by

Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author Entertainers and artists * Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer * Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...

Matthew Flinders Captain (Royal Navy), Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer, navigator and cartographer who led the first littoral zone, inshore circumnavigate, circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then ...

' sea voyage journal ''

A Voyage to Terra Australis ''A Voyage to Terra Australis: Undertaken for the Purpose of Completing the Discovery of that Vast Country, and Prosecuted in the Years 1801, 1802, and 1803, in His Majesty's Ship the Investigator'' was a sea voyage journal written by British ma ...

''.

Species list

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

accepts the following 17 species: * ''

Flindersia acuminata ''Flindersia acuminata'', commonly known as silver silkwood, icewood, Putt's pine, Paddy King's beech or silver maple, is a species of tree that has pinnate leaves with between six and ten egg-shaped to elliptic leaflets, creamy yellow flowers a ...

'' C.T.White – silver silkwood, silver maple (Qld.) * ''

Flindersia amboinensis ''Flindersia amboinensis'' is a species of plant in the family Rutaceae. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natur ...

'' Poir. – (

to New Guinea) * ''

Flindersia australis ''Flindersia australis'', commonly known as crow's ash, flindosy or Australian teak, is a species of tree that is endemic to north-eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves with between five and thirteen egg-shaped to elliptical leaflets, white ...

'' R.Br. – Australian teak, crows ash (Qld., N.S.W.) * ''

Flindersia bennettii ''Flindersia bennettii'', commonly known as Bennett's ash, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to north-eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves with between three and nine leaflets, cream-coloured flowers arranged on the e ...

F.Muell. Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victoria (state), Vic ...

ex C.Moore – Bennett's ash (Qld., N.S.W.) * ''

Flindersia bourjotiana ''Flindersia bourjotiana'', commonly known as Queensland silver ash, northern silver ash, or white ash, is a species of tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has pinnate leaves arranged in opposite pairs and with between four and eight narrow ...

'' F.Muell. – Queensland silver ash (Qld.) * ''

Flindersia brassii ''Flindersia brassii'', commonly known as hard scented maple or Claudie River scented maple, is a species of tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has pinnate leaves with between four and nine narrow elliptical leaflets, white or cream-coloure ...

'' T.G.Hartley & B.Hyland – hard scented maple, Claudie River scented maple – (Qld.) * ''

Flindersia brayleyana ''Flindersia brayleyana'', commonly known as Queensland maple, maple silkwood or red beech, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is Endemism, endemic to northern Queensland. It has Pinnation, pinnate leaves with between six and ten l ...

'' F.Muell. – Queensland maple, maple silkwood (Qld.) * ''

Flindersia collina ''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 and is Endemism, endemic to north-eastern Australia. It usually has Pinnation, pinna ...

F.M.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 bo ...

– broad-leaved leopard tree (Qld., N.S.W.) * '' Flindersia dissosperma'' (F.Muell.) Domin – scrub leopardwood (Qld.) * '' Flindersia fournieri'' Pancher & Sebert – (New Caledonia) * '' Flindersia ifflana'' F.Muell. – hickory ash, Cairns hickory (Qld.) * ''

Flindersia laevicarpa ''Flindersia laevicarpa'', commonly known in Australia as rose ash, scented maple or dirran maple, is a species of medium-sized to large tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to Papua New Guinea, West Papua and Queensland. It has pinnate l ...

'' C.T.White & W.D.Francis * ''

Flindersia maculosa ''Flindersia maculosa'', commonly known as leopardwood or leopard tree, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to inland areas of eastern Australia. It has mottled bark, simple leaves arranged in opposite pairs, white to cre ...

'' (Lindl.)

Benth. 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 ...

– leopardwood, leopard tree (Qld., N.S.W.) * ''

Flindersia oppositifolia ''Flindersia oppositifolia'', commonly known as mountain silkwood, is a species of tree that is endemic to the Bellenden Ker Range in northern Queensland. It has simple leaves arranged more or less in opposite pairs, dark reddish flowers arrang ...

'' (F.Muell.) T.G.Hartley & Laurence W. Jessup – mountain silkwood (Qld.) * ''

Flindersia pimenteliana ''Flindersia pimenteliana'', commonly known as maple silkwood, red beech or rose silkwood, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is Indigenous (ecology), native to New Guinea and Queensland. It has Pinnation, pinnate leaves with thre ...

'' F.Muell. – maple silkwood, rose silkwood (New Guinea, Qld.) * '' Flindersia schottiana'' F.Muell. – silver ash, cudgerie, bumpy ash (New Guinea, Qld., N.S.W.) * ''

Flindersia xanthoxyla ''Flindersia xanthoxyla'', commonly known as yellowwood, long jack or yellowwood ash, is a species of rainforest tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves arranged in opposite pairs with seven to eleven leaflets, panicle ...

'' (

A.Cunn. Allan Cunningham (13 July 1791 – 27 June 1839) was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his expeditions into uncolonised areas of eastern Australia to collect plants and report on the suitability of the land for grazing ...

Hook. Sir William Jackson Hooker (6 July 178512 August 1865) was an English botanist and botanical illustrator, who became the first director of Kew when in 1841 it was recommended to be placed under state ownership as a botanic garden. At Kew he ...

) Domin – yellowwood, long jack (Qld., N.S.W.)

Distribution and habitat

Many species of ''Flindersia'' grow in rainforest. Of the seventeen species, fifteen occur in Australia, twelve of which are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

Uses

Some species yield timbers that are widely used for flooring and cabinet work.

Gallery

References

External links

Queensland government list of hardwood timber species

in Botanical Dermatology Database
BRAIN Brisbane Rainforest Action & Information Network
{{Taxonbar, from=Q116479 Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773) Zanthoxyloideae genera