''Gossia gonoclada'', known as the square-stemmed or angle-stemmed myrtle for the distinctive four raised corners on the angled branchlets, is a

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 ...

tree of the family

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...

, native to

south-east Queensland South East Queensland (SEQ) is a bio-geographical, metropolitan, political and administrative region of the state of Queensland in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million people out of the state's population of 5.1 million. T ...

, Australia. It is an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

Etymology

The genus ''Gossia'' is named after former

Queensland Premier The premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland. By convention the premier is the leader of the party with a parliamentary majority in the unicameral Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The premier is ap ...

Wayne Goss Wayne Keith Goss (26 February 1951 – 10 November 2014) was Premier of Queensland from 7 December 1989 until 19 February 1996, becoming the first Labor Premier of the state in over thirty two years. Prior to entering politics, Goss was a solic ...

. The specific epithet ''gonoclada'' means "angle-stemmed".

History

The tree was first discovered by Charles Stuart in

Moggill Moggill is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Moggill had a population of 4,641 people. Geography Moggill is about by from the Brisbane GPO. The Brisbane River bounds the suburb to the east, south and west w ...

in the 1850s. Thought to be extinct for nearly a century, it was rediscovered by Glenn Leiper and Janet Hauser in December 1986, and the ''Gossia gonoclada'' Recovery Team was established by the

Logan City Council Logan City is a local government area situated within the south of the Brisbane metropolitan area in South East Queensland, Australia. Situated between the City of Brisbane to the north and the City of Gold Coast to the south, the City also bor ...

in December 1995.

Description

The leaves have four raised corners on angled branchlets, which are flushed pink when new, becoming dark green and glossy on the upper surface, duller and paler below. They produce a distinct scent when crushed. The bark is pale brown. The white flowers are 6–9 mm in diameter and have 4–5 petals. The fruits are glossy berries 7–12 mm in diameter, ripening black. The flowering period is from October to November, with the fruits ripening from mid-January to February. The tree may grow up to in height.

Distribution

Its known distribution is restricted to remnant lowland

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...

rainforest between the

Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gover ...

and

Brisbane River The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Go ...

Conservation

In 2001, 64 of the only known 73 natural ''Gossia gonoclada'' in the world were growing in the City of Logan. The Logan City Council has created the "''Gossia gonoclada'' Recovery Plan 2019-2029", and had planted 160 saplings around the city.

References

Flora of Queensland Myrtales of Australia Trees of Australia gonoclada Plants described in 1867 Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller {{Myrtaceae-stub