Wilkiea smithii
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| Wilkiea smithii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: | Monimiaceae |
| Genus: | Wilkiea |
| Species: | W. smithii |
| Binomial name | |
| Wilkiea smithii | |
Wilkiea smithii is a species of flowering plant in the family Monimiaceae, and is endemic to north-eastern Queensland. It is a shrub or small, slender tree with elliptic or oblong leaves and male and female flowers on separate plants. Male flowers are borne in clusters of about 5 and have 8 tepals and 2 pairs of stamens and female flowers have 20 to 40 carpels. The fruit is a glaucous, purplish to black drupe.
Wilkiea smithii is a shrub or small, slender tree that typically grows to a height of 1.8–8 m (5 ft 11 in – 26 ft 3 in). Its leaves are elliptic or oblong 85–140 mm (3.3–5.5 in) long and 30–60 mm (1.2–2.4 in) wide on a petiole 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) long. The midvein is prominent on both surfaces of the leaves. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. Male flowers are borne in leaf axils, in clusters of about 5, 15–30 mm (0.59–1.18 in) long, each flower more or less spherical to club-shaped, about 3 mm (0.12 in) in diameter on a pedicel 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) long with 8 tepals and usually 2 pairs of stamens. Female flowers are borne in leaf axils or on the ends of branches in clusters of about 3, mostly about 15 mm (0.59 in) long, each flower more or less spherical, on a pedicel 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) long, with 20–40 carpels. Flowering occurs from August to December, and the fruit is a glaucous purplish to black, oval drupe, 12–16 mm (0.47–0.63 in) long and 9–13 mm (0.35–0.51 in) wide.[2]