Biology:Dysoxylum arborescens

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Short description: Species of plant in the family Meliaceae

Mossman mahogany
Dysoxylum-arborescens-SF22088-06.jpg
Fruiting tree in Cairns, QLD,
March 2022
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Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Meliaceae
Genus: Dysoxylum
Species:
D. arborescens
Binomial name
Dysoxylum arborescens
(Blume) Miq.[1]
Synonyms[2]

Dysoxylum arborescens, commonly known in Australia as Mossman mahogany, is a small tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is native to rainforests of Malesia, Papuasia, Queensland and nearby islands.

Description

The Mossman mahogany usually grows to around 20 m (70 ft) high, occasionally to 30 m (100 ft),[2][3][4][5] but it may flower and fruit when only 1 m (3 ft 3 in) high.[5][6] The trunk can reach a diameter of up to 45 centimetres (18 in), and may be fluted or possess buttresses up to 1 m (3 ft) tall.[2][3][4][5] It has bark that is grey-brown, smooth or with mild cracking,[2][4][5] and which bears large conspicuous lenticels.[3] The leafy twigs are also grey-brown and lenticellate.[2][3][4][5]

The compound leaves are arranged in whorls or spirals and are pinnate with 5 to 9 leaflets, usually with a terminal leaflet.[2][3][4][5] The petioles are glabrous, about 7 cm (3 in) long, and swollen at the junction with the twig. The leaves have 5 to 9 glabrous leaflets which are dark green above and lighter below, and measure up to 18 by 7 cm (7 by 3 in).[2][3][4][5] The proximal leaflets (i.e. the ones closest to the twig) are the smallest, with successive leaflets getting larger, and the terminal leaflet is the largest.[5]

The inflorescence is an axillary thyrse measuring up to 8 cm (3.1 in) long which is covered in minute tawny hairs. The sweetly scented flowers measure around 10 mm (0.39 in), and are creamy-green to white with usually 5 petals up to 10 by 2.2 mm (0.4 by 0.1 in).[2][3][4][5] A staminal tube rises from the base of the petals, and has 10 anthers about 1 mm (0.039 in) long inserted close to the distal end.[2][4][5]

The fruits are slightly flattened globular capsules up to 3 cm (1 in) in diameter. They are glabrous, bright pink-red in colour and usually contains 5 seeds.[2][4][5]

Taxonomy

This species was originally described as Goniocheton arborescens in 1825 by the Germany -Dutch botanist Carl Ludwig Blume, but was given its current combination in 1868 by the Dutch botanist Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel in his paper Monographia Meliacearum Archipelagi Indici, published in Annales Musei Botanici Lugduno-Batavi Vol 4 p.24 [3][4]

Etymology

The genus name Dysoxylum is a construction from the Ancient Greek words dys "bad", osmḗ "smell", and xylon "wood", and refers to the unsavoury odour of the timber of some species.[7]

The species epithet is from the Latin word arborescens, meaning "tree-like", which may be a reference to its relatively small stature.[7]

Ecology

This tree is the host for larvae of the orange emperor butterfly.[8]

Cultivation and uses

The Australian botanist David L. Jones wrote in his 1986 book Rainforest Plants of Australia that this species "has good potential as a garden plant and is of manageable dimensions".[9]

Distribution and habitat

Dysoxylum arborescens is native to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Taiwan, Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia, New Guinea the Bismark Archipelago, Queensland, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. It is a common species, growing in a variety of rainforest habitats from sea-level to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) elevation.[3][4][5]

Conservation

This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern.[10] (As of December 2022), it has not been assessed by the IUCN.

Gallery

References

  1. "Dysoxylum arborescens". Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/97213. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "Dysoxylum arborescens Miq.". World Flora Online Consortium. http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000658485. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "Dysoxylum arborescens". Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. 2020. https://apps.lucidcentral.org/rainforest/text/entities/Dysoxylum_arborescens.htm. 
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 Mabberley, D.J. (2021). "Dysoxylum arborescens". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Dysoxylum%20arborescens. 
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 Mabberley, David J.; Sing, Anne M. (March 2007). "Dysoxylum arborescens (Blume) Miq.". in Soepadmo, E.; Saw, L. G.; Chung, R. C. K. et al.. Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak. 6. Forest Research Institute Malaysia. pp. 152–154. ISBN 978-983-2181-89-7. http://www.chm.frim.gov.my/backup/TFSS.vol4_5_6.pdf. Retrieved 6 November 2022. 
  6. "Dysoxylum arborescens". https://portal.cybertaxonomy.org/flora-malesiana/cdm_dataportal/taxon/df57d09a-ef8b-4fff-8e04-1eca6cd62143. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 Cooper, Wendy; Cooper, William T. (June 2004). Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia: Nokomis Editions. p. 287. ISBN 9780958174213. https://www.nokomis.com.au/product/nokomis-published-books/fruits-australian-tropical-rainforest/. 
  8. "HOSTS - The Hostplants and Caterpillars Database at the Natural History Museum". The Trustees of The Natural History Museum, London. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/hostplants/search/detail.dsml?PK_MainID=80632&PSpecies=arborescens&PSpeciesqtype=equals&PGenus=Dysoxylum&PFamilyqtype=starts+with&sort=Family&Familyqtype=starts+with&Speciesqtype=starts+with&Genusqtype=starts+with&PGenusqtype=equals&beginIndex=0&listPageURL=list%2edsml%3fPSpecies%3darborescens%26PSpeciesqtype%3dequals%26PGenus%3dDysoxylum%26PFamilyqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26sort%3dFamily%26Familyqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26Speciesqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26Genusqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26PGenusqtype%3dequals&searchPageURL=index%2edsml%3fPSpeciesqtype%3dequals%26PSpecies%3darborescens%26PGenus%3dDysoxylum%26PFamilyqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26sort%3dFamily%26Familyqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26Speciesqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26Genusqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26PGenusqtype%3dequals. 
  9. Jones, David L. (1986). Rainforest Plants of Australia. Bowgowlah, NSW, Australia: Reed Books. p. 171. ISBN 0-7301-0381-1. 
  10. "Species profile—Dysoxylum arborescens". Queensland Government. 2022. https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/details/?id=17360. 

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q15544565 entry