''Dinosperma'' is a genus of plant containing the single species ''Dinosperma erythrococcum'', commonly known as tingletongue, clubwood or nutmeg, and is endemic to north-eastern Australia. It is a tree usually with trifoliate leaves arranged in opposite pairs, the leaflets lance-shaped to oblong, and

panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...

s of small white flowers, later bright orange to red, slightly fleshy follicles containing shiny, bluish black seeds.

Description

''Dinosperma erythrococcum'' is a tree that typically grows to a height of and is more or less glabrous. It has mostly trifoliate leaves arranged in opposite pairs on a petiole long, the leaflets lance-shaped to oblong, long and wide, the side leaflets on

petiolules In botany, the petiole () is the stalk that attaches the leaf blade to the stem, and is able to twist the leaf to face the sun. This gives a characteristic foliage arrangement to the plant. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole in s ...

up to long, the end leaflet on a petiolule long. The leaves have distinct but scattered oil dots. The flowers are arranged in panicles long. The sepals are about long, the white

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s about long, and there are eight

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s that are about the same length as the petals. Flowering mainly occurs from spring to early summer and the fruit is an elliptical, orange to red, slightly fleshy follicle long containing glossy black or bluish black seeds.

Taxonomy

In 1858,

Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vict ...

described ''Euodia erythrococca'' and published the description in ''Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae'' from specimens collected near Wide Bay and Moreton Bay. In 1997, Thomas Gordon Hartley raised the genus ''Dinosperma'' in the journal '' Adansonia'' and transferred von Mueller's plant as ''Dinosperma erythrococcum''.

Distribution and habitat

Tingletongue grows in rainforest, often dry rainforest, at altitudes from to and occurs from the Kutini-Payamu National Park in far north Queensland to the headwaters of the

Clarence Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a loca ...

and Richmond Rivers in north-eastern New South Wales.

Conservation status

This tree is listed as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government '' Nature Conservation Act 1992''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q15930459, from2=Q18079413 Zanthoxyloideae Zanthoxyloideae genera Monotypic Rutaceae genera Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Plants described in 1858 Taxa named by Thomas Gordon Hartley Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller