''Medicosma heterophylla'' is a species of small tree in the family

Rutaceae The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in BoDD – Botanical Derm ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to a restricted area of far north Queensland. It has simple and

trifoliate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

, elliptical leaves and leaflets, and cream-coloured to pink or reddish flowers borne singly or in small groups in leaf axils.

Description

''Medicosma heterophylla'' is a tree that typically grows to a height of . The leaves are simple and trifoliate, the simple leaves elliptical, long and wide on a petiole long. The trifoliate leaves have a petiole long, the leaflets elliptical, long and wide. The flowers are arranged singly or in small groups up to long, each flower on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

long. The

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s are long and

glabrous Glabrousness (from the Latin ''glaber'' meaning "bald", "hairless", "shaved", "smooth") is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of ...

and the

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 are cream-coloured to pink or reddish, long and densely covered on the back with soft hairs flattened against the surface. Flowering occurs from February to July and the fruit is a follicle long.

Taxonomy

''Medicosma heterophylla'' was first formally described in 1985 by

Thomas Gordon Hartley Thomas Gordon Hartley (9 January 1931 in Beaumont, Texas – 8 March 2016 in Canberra, Australia) was an American botanist. Biography In 1955 Hartley graduated in botany with the academic degree Bachelor of Science at the University of Wisconsin-E ...

in the ''

Australian Journal of Botany The ''Australian Journal of Botany'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by CSIRO Publishing. It covers all areas of plant biology, with a focus on Southern Hemisphere ecosystems. The editor-in-chief is Dick Williams (Commonwealth Sci ...

'' from specimens collected by

Paul Irwin Forster Paul Irwin Forster (born 1961) is an Australian botanist. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Queensland in 2004 with his thesis ''The pursuit of plants : studies on the systematics, ecology and chemistry of the vascular flora of A ...

in 1994 on the track to Pinnacle Rock near Karnak (near Mossman).

Distribution and habitat

This medicosma grows in rainforest and cloud forest at altitudes between . It occurs along Roaring Meg Creek and near Karnak in far north Queensland.

Conservation status

This species is classified as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government ''

Nature Conservation Act 1992 The ''Nature Conservation Act 1992'' is an act of the Parliament of Queensland, Australia, that, together with subordinate legislation, provides for the legislative protection of Queensland's threatened biota. As originally published, it prov ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18084372 heterophylla Sapindales of Australia Flora of Queensland Plants described in 1985 Taxa named by Thomas Gordon Hartley