''Syzygium apodophyllum'' is a

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

in the

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All spe ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

endemic to north Queensland. The fruit is edible. It is a host for the exotic plant-pathogen fungus ''

Austropuccinia psidii ''Austropuccinia psidii'', commonly known as myrtle rust, guava rust, or ʻōhiʻa rust; is a rust (a type of plant pathogen) native to South America that affects plants in the family Myrtaceae. It is a member of the fungal complex called the g ...

'', which is causing a lot of damage to vegetation communities and economic plants.

Description

The tree grows some 1 to 6m tall, sometimes up to 20m. The trunk is rarely more than 30 cm dbh, the bark is pale brown. Branches tend to be of a weeping habit. Leaves have short petioles, some 0.1–02 cm in length, the twigs with leaves have 4 wings, with pairs of wings fused above each pair of leaves, forming a pocket. These wings often obscure the petiole so that leaves appear sessile. The leaf blades are some 3.6-8 by 1.4–3 cm in size. The midrib is depressed on the adaxial/upper surface. The fruit, which are the typically red/pink ''Syzygium'' fruit with a watery but crunchy flesh surrounding a solitary large seed, are some 13 by 9mm in size, and either hang solitary in bunches, either axillary or terminally. Seed is up to 9mm in size. Fruiting occurs from March to September. The wood has a specific gravity of 0.80gcm³.

Phylogeny

This species is most closely related to '' Syzygium corynanthum'', nestled in a slightly larger clade with '' Syzygium canicortex''.

Distribution

The tree is endemic to Queensland, Australia, growing only in the

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 ...

and Northeast (north of

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 30 ...

and south of

Princess Charlotte Bay Princess Charlotte Bay is a large bay on the east coast of Far North Queensland at the base of Cape York Peninsula, 350 km north northwest of Cairns. Princess Charlotte Bay is a part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and it is a habit ...

areas, from Tully to the

McIlwraith Range The McIlwraith Range is a rugged, dissected granite plateau on Cape York Peninsula of Far North Queensland, Australia. Part of the Great Dividing Range, the McIlwraith Range covers about and lies about east of the town of Coen, and nor ...

Habitat, ecology

This species grows as an understory in well-developed rainforest, in a variety of sites, but tends to more abundant in mountain rainforest, altitudinal range is from near sea level to some 1500m. The plant is one of the hosts of the exotic plant pathogen ''

''. This species is relatively tolerant of the fungus, but other taxa are severely impacted.

Vernacular names

The species is known as ''rex satinash'' in Australian English.

Uses

This plant is generally a small and not well-developed tree (i.e. it is not that straight in its growth, nor producing long sections). It is regarded as of no commercial value. The fruit is edible.

History

The eminent Australian

botanist,

Bernard Hyland Bernard Hyland (Bernard Patrick Matthew Hyland, born 1937), known as Bernie Hyland, is an Australian botanist. He has contributed significantly to the understanding of Australian plants, in particular numerous species of his home and workplace ...

(born 1937), described the species in his 1983 article, ''A revision of ''Syzygium'' and allied genera (Myrtaceae) in Australia'' in the

Australian Journal of Botany The ''Australian Journal of Botany'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by CSIRO Publishing. It covers all areas of plant biology, with a focus on Southern Hemisphere ecosystems. The editor-in-chief is Dick Williams (Commonwealth Sci ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15381284 apodophyllum Plants described in 1983 Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller