Syzygium alatoramulum


Syzygium alatoramulum, commonly known as tinkling satinash, is a plant in the clove and eucalyptus family Myrtaceae, found only in the Wet Tropics bioregion of Queensland, Australia.

Description

Syzygium alatoramulum is a small poorly formed tree which may reach in height and trunk diameter, but is usually much smaller than this. The twigs are somewhat square in cross-section with conspicuous wings. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs and are held on very short petioles about long. The leaf blades average about long and wide, with 10–15 pairs of conspicuous lateral veins. There are two intramarginal veins, the first of which is indistinct and about 1 mm from the margin, the second is conspicuous and about from the margin. Numerous pellucid glands, or 'oil dots', are visible to the naked eye.
The inflorescence is paniculate with flowers in triads, and they are produced either terminally or in the upper. The flowers are white, four merous, and in bud they are shaped like a spinning top — after opening, the corolla tube tapers evenly into the pedicel, or flower stalk. The petals are rounded and about diameter, stamens are numerous and about long, and the pistil is about the same length or slightly longer.
The fruit is a berry about wide and long. It is white or cream, with a very subtle tinge of purple. It contains a single seed about in diameter.

Phenology

Flowering occurs from September to January, and fruit appear between January and March.

Taxonomy

This plant was first described in 1983 by the Australian botanist Bernard Hyland. He published his description, which was based on material collected by himself in 1971, in the journal Australian Journal of Botany.

Etymology

The genus name Syzygium comes from the Ancient Greek sýzygos, meaning 'joined', 'yoked', or 'paired', and refers to the paired leaves. The species epithet alatoramulum is created from a combination of the Latin alatus, 'winged', and ramulus, 'branch' or 'twig', which refers to the prominent wings on the twigs.

Distribution and habitat

Syzygium alatoramulum is restricted to a small part of NE Queensland, specifically the coastal areas from the Windsor Tableland to Mount Bartle Frere, at altitudes from. It grows in wet eucalypt forest and rainforest, close to water courses, on soils derived from granite.

Conservation

This species is listed as least concern under the Queensland Government's Nature Conservation Act., it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.