Syzygium apodophyllum
Syzygium apodophyllum, commonly known as rex satinash, is a tree in the clove and eucalyptus family Myrtaceae endemic to northeast Queensland, Australia. The fruit is edible. It is a host for the exotic plant-pathogen fungus Austropuccinia psidii, which is causing a lot of damage to vegetation communities and economic plants.
Description
Stem and foliage
Syzygium apodophyllum can reach up to in height with a trunk up to diameter, but and, respectively, is more common. The wood has a relative density of 0.80. It has pale brown bark which may be flaky, and may or may not have buttresses. The branches and leaf-bearing twigs have a weeping habit, the twigs have four longitudinal wings, the pair on each side of the twig fusing together at the point where leaves are attached and forming a small pocket. The petioles are very short, about long, and obscured by the pockets. The leaves occur in pairs on the twigs, are on average about long and wide, broad at the base and with a long tapering 'drip tip'. The mid vein is slightly sunken on the top surface of the leaf, and there are 5–13 pairs of lateral veins.Flowers and fruit
The inflorescences occur both in the and at the end of the twigs. They may have a single flower but usually they are in the form of a raceme. The flowers are cream, about long including the flowers stalk; they have three to six petals which are circular and about diameter. There are numerous stamens up to long; the ovary has two locules, each with up to 12 ovules. The fruit are, in botanical terms, a berry. They are red, about long and wide, with a single seed about long. Unlike most other Syzygium fruit, the calyx lobes are not distinct.Taxonomy
This species was first described in 1892 as Eugenia apodophylla by German-born Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller. He published the description in the journal The Victorian Naturalist. In 1983, in a major review of Australian species of Syzygium and its close relatives, Australian botanist Bernard Hyland moved this species to Syzygium under the current binomial name.Phylogeny
This species is most closely related to Syzygium corynanthum, nestled in a slightly larger clade with Syzygium canicortex.Etymology
The genus name Syzygium comes from the Greek word syzgos, meaning 'jointed' and is a reference to the paired leaves displayed by members of the genus. The species epithet apodophyllum is derived from the Ancient Greek word podós meaning 'foot' or 'leg', combined with the prefix [wikt:a-|] 'without', and the suffix [wikt:-phyllum|] 'leaf'. It may be translated as "leaf without a leg" and refers to the very short petiole.The species is commonly known as rex satinash in Australia.