Flindersia acuminata explained

Flindersia acuminata, commonly known as silver silkwood, icewood, Putt's pine, Paddy King's beech or silver maple,[1] is a species of tree that has pinnate leaves with between six and ten egg-shaped to elliptic leaflets, creamy yellow flowers arranged in panicles, and fruit studded with short, rough points.

Description

Flindersia acuminata is a tree that typically grows to a height of and usually has pale brown bark and with its young shoots covered with small star-shaped hairs. Its leaves are pinnate, arranged alternately with between six and ten egg-shaped to elliptical leaflets mostly long and wide on petiolules long. The flowers are arranged in panicles long. The flowers have five sepals about long and five creamy yellow petals about long. Flowering occurs from November to January and the fruit is a woody capsule long studded with short, rough points, and separating into five at maturity, each section containing three winged seeds.[2] [3]

Taxonomy

Flindersia acuminata was first formally described in 1919 by Cyril Tenison White in the Botany Bulletin of the Queensland Department of Agriculture.[4]

Distribution and habitat

Silver silkwood grows in rainforest at altitudes of from near Kuranda to Mission Beach in far north Queensland.

Conservation status

Flindersia acuminata is classified as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Species profile—Flindersia acuminata (silver silkwood) . Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science . 15 July 2020.
  2. Book: Hartley . Thomas G. . Wilson . Annette J.G. (ed.) . Flora of Australia (Volume 26) . 2013 . Australian Biological Resources Study . Canberra . 67 . 15 July 2020.
  3. Web site: Flindersia acuminata . F.A.Zich . B.P.M.Hyland . T.Whiffen . R.A.Kerrigan . Bernard Hyland . 2020 . Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8) . . 2 July 2021.
  4. Web site: Flindersia acuminata. APNI. 14 July 2020.