| Yellow satinash | |
|---|---|
| |
| Flowers | |
| Conservation status | |
| Least Concern (NCA) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Syzygium |
| Species: | S. canicortex |
| Binomial name | |
| Syzygium canicortex B.Hyland | |
Syzygium canicortex, commonly known as yellow satinash, is a tree in the family Myrtaceae native to Queensland, Australia, first described in 1983.
Description
Syzygium canicortex is a tree growing up to about 35 m (115 ft) tall and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) diameter, and the trunks may be buttressed or fluted. Leaves are arranged in opposite pairs on small twigs about 1 mm (0.04 in) diameter. They are ovate to elliptic and usually have an unusually long drip tip. They measure on average about 3.4 cm (1.3 in) long by 1.4 cm (0.55 in) wide, and are held on a petiole up to 5 mm (0.20 in) long. New growth is deep red, transitioning to green.
Flowers are most often produced in the leaf axils and are mostly solitary, rarely in a few-flowered raceme. The developing bud is covered by a cap (known as an operculum) which is shed at maturity along with the attached petals. The hypanthium tapers slowly into the pedicel (flower stem), the stamens are numerous, yellow, and about 5 mm (0.20 in) long. The style is about 7 mm (0.28 in) long. The fruit is, in botanical terms, a berry, red, about 9 mm (0.35 in) diameter, and contains a single seed.
Taxonomy
This plant was first described in 1983 by the Australian botanist Bernard Hyland, as part of a major review of the genus and some relatives. His paper, titled "A revision of Syzygium and allied genera (Myrtaceae) in Australia", was published in the Australian Journal of Botany.
Etymology
The genus name Syzygium comes from the Greek word syzgos, meaning "joined" and is a reference to the paired leaves displayed by members of the genus. The species epithet canicortex was given as a reference to the grey cortex (Canus is Latin for grey).
Distribution and habitat
The yellow satinash is endemic to Queensland, and is found along the coast and coastal ranges from the area near Rossville south to the Paluma Range National Park. It grows in rainforest at altitudes from about 80 m (260 ft) to 1,400 m (4,600 ft), often on granite soils.
Conservation
Syzygium canicortex is listed as least concern under the Queensland Government's Nature Conservation Act. As of August 2024, it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Uses
This species has been used in the past as a structural timber, sold under the name 'Yellow Satinash'. The wood has a specific gravity of 0.7 to 0.73.
Gallery
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New foliage
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X-ray of leaf
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Foliage
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Foliage
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Botanical illustration
References
- ^ "Species profile—Syzygium canicortex". Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Queensland Government. 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- "Syzygium canicortex". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- "Syzygium canicortex B.Hyland". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ Hyland, B.P.M. (1983). "A revision of Syzygium and allied genera (Myrtaceae) in Australia". Australian Journal of Botany, Supplementary Series. 13 (9): 66–68. doi:10.1071/BT8309001.
- ^ F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Syzygium canicortex". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
External links
- View a map of herbarium collections of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium
- View observations of this species on iNaturalist
- See images of this species on Flickriver.com