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| Thaleropia queenslandica (MYRTACEAE); Queensland myrtle |
|  | | Thaleropia queenslandica - foliage & flower - Derek Boddington © 2003 |
Derek writes: NEQ species often cultivated elsewhere outside its range. This one in my brother’s “rainforest patch” planted by the previous, (original) owner. I stood on my brother Pat’s rainwater tank to get these pics. There is also a fine specimen nearby in Camp Constable.
ID by Spencer Shaw “brush turkey” BRISRAIN group member 07/02. Derek, David, Kenneth and Klaus all agree.
A small tree to about 6m high endemic to NEQ, restricted to the Atherton Tablelands and surrounding mountains, growing in well developed upland and mountain rain forest. Leaves opposite, simple, dark shiny green above, paler below, elliptic to lanceolate, 6-8cm long x 2-4cm wide, apex acute, tapering to a blunt or rounded tip, base broadly attenuate or cuneate, midvein prominent, raised above and below, secondary veins parallel, fairly closely spaced, scarcely visible above, intramarginal vein present, indistinct; margins entire, somewhat undulate; oil dots numerous and very close together, (lens needed). Stipules filiform, very small, finely narrow and indistinct. Young shoots, petioles and leaf midribs covered with fine rusty hairs but older twigs and leaves glabrous.
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| Flowers |  |
|  | | Thaleropia queenslandica - flower detail- Derek Boddington © 2003 |
Flowers bright yellow to orange, open, with 5 spreading petals and 5 protruding stamens about 7mm long, the anthers each tipped with a large oil gland; clustered in dense terminal and axillary racemes.
Fruit a dry, brown hemispherical capsule, 4-5cm dia., with remnants of the calyx persistent at the apex; capsule opening to reveal several small seeds up to about 4mm long.
Often cultivated outside its natural range and makes a fine specimen tree in the right conditions and habitat. Seeds will usually germinate in 30-90 days, but germination may be erratic - even under good conditions. Sow seeds about 2mm deep in a peaty seed compost at about 15°C. (Anon.)
Formerly classified as Metrosideros queenslandica.
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