Backhousia tetraptera explained

Backhousia tetraptera is a tree in the family Myrtaceae. The only known population occurs at the foot of Mount Stuart near Townsville in Queensland, Australia.[1] [2]

The species grows to between 5 and 12 metres high often with multiple trunks that have a mottled flaking bark including grey, grey-brown and/or pink colouration. The leaves are simple and opposite and are 5.5 to 9 cm long and 1.5 to 3.8 cm wide.[1] The white flowers appear in clusters of 10 and have 56 to 65 stamens.Flowering is induced by the first significant rainfall of the wet season, appearing four weeks later.[1] The distinctive fruits are capsules with four wings that appear in clusters and fade from pink to white and dry to brown.[1]

The species was formally described in 2012.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Backhousia tetraptera . 2012 . The Society for Growing Australian Plants Townsville Branch Inc. . 29 June 2014 .
  2. Web site: Mystery Tree . 2012 . The Society for Growing Australian Plants Townsville Branch Inc. . 29 June 2014 . 13 May 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130513212510/http://sgaptownsville.org.au/Mystery-Tree.html . dead .
  3. Harrington . Mark G. . Jackes . Betsy R. . Barrett . M. D. . Craven . Lyndley A. . Barrett . Russell L. . 3 . 2012 . Phylogenetic revision of Backhousieae (Myrtaceae): Neogene divergence, a revised circumscription of Backhousia and two new species . Australian Systematic Botany . 25 . 6 . 409–414 . 29 June 2014 . 10.1071/sb12015. 56067440 .