''Elattostachys xylocarpa'', known as the white tamarind or short-leaf beetroot is a common rainforest tree of eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. Found in the drier rainforests, which are based on volcanic soils. From as far south as the Orara River in northern New South Wales to

Bowen Bowen may refer to: Places Australia * Bowen, Queensland, a town * Bowen Hills, Queensland, a suburb ** Bowen Hills railway station, a railway station in Bowen Hills ** Bowen Park, Brisbane, a park in Bowen Hills * Bowen Bridge, crossing the Derw ...

in tropical Queensland. The name ''Elattostachys'' refers to "little spikes", a flower feature of other plants in this genus. ''xylocarpa'' refers to the hard woody fruit.

Description

A small to medium-sized tree up to 25 metres tall, with a stem diameter of 35 cm. The trunk may be fluted at the base. Dark brown bark is relatively smooth, with horizontal raised lines. Leaves pinnate and alternate on the stem. Leaflet stalks 3 mm long. Leaflets toothed, 3 to 8 cm long, 1.5 to 4 cm wide . Small hairy tufts may be found where the lateral leaf veins meet the mid rib leaf vein. Elattostachys xylocarpa

Red flowers form on

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 between December and April. The fruit is a round or pear shaped capsule, yellowish on the outside. Usually splitting into three valved sections, with one black glossy seed. Often the sections are without seed. White to dark red

aril An aril (pronounced ), also called an arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode or false aril is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the see ...

is inside the fruiting capsule. Fruit ripens from March to June.

References

External links

* Sapindaceae Sapindales of Australia Trees of Australia Flora of Queensland Flora of New South Wales Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller {{sapindales-stub