''Glochidion sumatranum '' known as the umbrella cheese tree is a plant in the family Phyllanthaceae. Although recognized as a distinct species by some sources, others include it within '' Glochidion zeylanicum''. It is found in northern and 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 ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. The habitat is

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

, or rainforest margins in swampy areas, sometimes associated with palms. It may grow to 15 metres tall. The most southerly point of natural distribution is Iluka, New South Wales. ''Glochidion sumatranum'' presumably is dependent on

leafflower moths ''Phyllanthus'' is the largest genus in the plant family Phyllanthaceae. Estimates of the number of species in this genus vary widely, from 750David J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book.'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University P ...

(''Epicephala'' spp.) for its pollination, like other species of tree in the genus ''Glochidion''.Kato, M.; Takimura, A.; Kawakita, A. (2003) "An obligate pollination mutualism and reciprocal diversification in the tree genus ''Glochidion'' (Euphorbiaceae)." ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA''. 100 (9): 5264–5267

References

Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Flora of Western Australia Flora of the Northern Territory Flora of New Guinea Flora of Sumatra sumatranum Plants described in 1861 {{Phyllanthaceae-stub