Balanops australiana

Balanops australiana, commonly known as pimplebark, is a plant in the family Balanopaceae found only in the coastal regions of northern and central Queensland, Australia.

Description

Balanops australiana is a tree that may grow to be tall. The trunk is marked with conspicuous pale lenticels which are relatively large, and the roots of mature trees extend horizontally across the ground for some distance. The leaves are obovate to elliptic, are arranged alternately on the twigs and are held on petioles between long. The leaves measure up to long by wide, and are somewhat thickened; the leaf edges are mostly entire, but small teeth may be present toward the apex.
The flowers are very small — the tepals are just long. Flowers are either male or female, and both are surrounded by densely hairy bracts. The fruit is a drupe which is obloid in shape. It is yellow or orange, contains one or two seeds and measures about long by wide.

Phenology

Flowering occurs from December to January, and fruit ripen between August and May.

Taxonomy

This species was first described in 1877 by the German-born Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller, based on a collection made by John Dallachy ad sinum maris at Rockingham Bay.

Distribution and habitat

This species occurs in rainforests of coastal northeastern Queensland, from about Cooktown southwards to about Eungella. It grows on volcanic soils in rainforest, at altitudes from near sea level to about.

Ecology

The fruit are eaten by fruit doves, topknot pigeons, spotted catbirds, and golden bowerbirds.

Conservation

, this species has been assessed to be of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and also under the Queensland Government's Nature Conservation Act.