Sloanea australis
Sloanea australis | |
---|---|
Juvenile maiden's blush growing by the Hacking River, Australia. | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Oxalidales |
Family: | Elaeocarpaceae |
Genus: | Sloanea |
Species: | S. australis
|
Binomial name | |
Sloanea australis F.Muell. | |
Synonyms | |
|
Sloanea australis, commonly known as the maiden's blush, is a rainforest tree of eastern
The common name refers to the "blushing" pink colour of the heartwood, resembling a maiden's blush. This common name is also suited to the colour of the new leaves. Other common names include the blush alder, blush carrabeen, blush carrobean and cudgerie.[citation needed] Sloanea australis has bright pink new leaves which make identification easy. The irregular, crooked leaning trunk is also characteristic.
Description
A medium to large tree, up to 30 metres (98 ft) tall with a stem diameter of 60 cm (24 in) with grey-brown bark. The trunk is buttressed, crooked, flanged and irregular with smaller branchlets coming from the main trunk. Alexander Floyd mentions a 55-metre (180 ft) tall individual at Border Ranges National Park.[1]
Leaves alternate with wavy margins, toothed and
Cream flowers form from October to November, in singles or on short racemes. A woody capsule matures from February to June, 15 to 20 mm (0.59 to 0.79 in) long. Inside is a fleshy orange aril, surrounding the three to five glossy black seeds. Fruit is eaten by a variety of rainforest birds including the paradise riflebird.
Germination from fresh seeds is not particularly difficult, woody branches and cuttings also strike well.
References
- ISBN 978-0-9589436-7-3page 133