Medicosma mulgraveana

Medicosma mulgraveana is a species of small tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of far north Queensland. It has mostly trifoliate leaves with elliptical to egg-shaped leaflets and white flowers borne in small groups in leaf axils.

Medicosma mulgraveana
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Medicosma
Species:
M. mulgraveana
Binomial name
Medicosma mulgraveana

Description

Medicosma mulgraveana is a tree that typically grows to a height of 8 mm (0.31 in). The leaves are trifoliate on a petiole 15–90 mm (0.59–3.54 in) long, the leaflets elliptical to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 75–180 mm (3.0–7.1 in) long and 30–70 mm (1.2–2.8 in) wide. The flowers are arranged in small groups up to 25–120 mm (0.98–4.72 in) long, each flower on a pedicel about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long. The sepals are 4–5.5 mm (0.16–0.22 in) long and glabrous and the petals are white, 4–5.5 mm (0.16–0.22 in) long and covered on the back with soft hairs flattened against the surface. Flowering has been observed in November and the fruit is a glabrous follicle 7.5–8 mm (0.30–0.31 in) long.[2][3]

Taxonomy

Medicosma mulgraveana was first formally described in 1985 by Thomas Gordon Hartley in the Australian Journal of Botany from specimens collected near the East Mulgrave River in 1975.[4]

Distribution and habitat

This medicosma grows in rainforest at an altitude of 700 m (2,300 ft) and is only known from the type location.[2][3]

Conservation status

This species is classified as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.[5]

References
  1. "Medicosma mulgraveana". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  2. Hartley, Thomas G.; Wilson, Annette J.G. (ed.) (2013). Flora of Australia (Volume 26). Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study. p. 581. Retrieved 23 July 2020.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  3. "Medicosma mulgraveana". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  4. "Medicosma mulgraveana". APNI. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  5. "Species profile—Medicosma mulgraveana". Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
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