''Stenocarpus verticis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae 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 northern Australia. It is a tree with elliptic or lance-shaped adult leaves and groups of cream-coloured flowers covered with woolly, rust-coloured or grey hairs.

Description

''Stenocarpus verticis'' is a tree that typically grows to a height of up to but sometimes flowers and forms fruit when still a shrub. Its young growth is covered with rusty or grey, silky hairs. The juvenile leaves are

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 ...

with three to seven lobes, but the adult leaves are

simple Simple or SIMPLE may refer to: * Simplicity, the state or quality of being simple Arts and entertainment * ''Simple'' (album), by Andy Yorke, 2008, and its title track * "Simple" (Florida Georgia Line song), 2018 * "Simple", a song by John ...

, broadly lance-shaped to broadly elliptic, long and wide on a petiole long. The flower groups are arranged in leaf axils in

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' " ...

s of forty to fifty on a

peduncle Peduncle may refer to: *Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed *Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body **Peduncle (art ...

long, each flower on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

long. The

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepals when ca ...

is cream-coloured, long and covered with woolly, rust-coloured or grey hairs. Flowering occurs from August to October and the fruit is a woody, linear follicle long.

Taxonomy

''Stenocarpus verticis'' was first formally described in 1995 by

Donald Bruce Foreman Don Foreman was an Australian botanist who worked on the Monimiaceae and Proteaceae of Australia. He also helped with the editing of selected Flora of Victoria and Flora of Australia Volumes. Career After Foreman graduated from the Univer ...

in the ''

Flora of Australia The flora of Australia comprises a vast assemblage of plant species estimated to over 30,000 vascular and 14,000 non-vascular plants, 250,000 species of fungi and over 3,000 lichens. The flora has strong affinities with the flora of Gondwa ...

'' from specimens collected by Glenn Wightman an
Clyde Dunlop
near

Gunn Point Gunn Point Peninsula located just over an hour from Darwin, Northern Territory, is a popular fishing, camping and leisure destination for Territorians and tourists alike. Whilst Gunn Point is available for public use it is private property and ...

in 1984. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''verticis'') refers to the "top end", referring to the distribution of this species.

Distribution and habitat

This species grows in rainforest or in monsoon thicket and occurs from Melville Island to the

Gove Peninsula The Gove Peninsula is at the northeastern corner of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. The peninsula became strategically important during World War II when a Royal Australian Air Force base was constructed at what is now Go ...

in the Northern Territory and on

Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...

in Queensland.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18074158 Flora of the Northern Territory Flora of Queensland verticis Plants described in 1995