''Medicosma sessiliflora'' is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to far north Queensland. It has simple elliptical to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and cream-coloured flowers borne singly or in small groups in leaf axils.

Description

''Medicosma sessiliflora'' is a shrub or tree that typically grows to a height of . The leaves are elliptical to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, long and wide on a petiole long. The flowers are arranged singly or in small groups up to long, each flower sessile or 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 ...

up to long. The sepals are long 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, long, densely covered on the back with soft hairs flattened against the surface and the 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 alternate in length. Flowering occurs from May to November and the fruit is a follicle long.

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1936 by Cyril Tenison White who gave it the name ''Melicope sessiliflora'' and published the description in the ''

Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland ''Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland'' is a multidisciplinary scientific journal published by The Royal Society of Queensland The Royal Society of Queensland was formed in Queensland, Australia in 1884 from the Queensland Philo ...

'' from specimens collected by

Leonard John Brass Leonard John Brass (17 May 1900 – 29 August 1971) was an Australian and American botany, botanist, plant collecting, botanical collector and explorer. Early life Brass was born at Toowoomba, Queensland. He was trained at the Queensland Herbar ...

in the

Mossman Gorge Mossman Gorge is a rural locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mossman Gorge had a population of 246 people. The locality takes its name from the valley Mossman Gorge created by the Mossman River through the Daintree ...

. In 1985 Thomas Gordon Hartley changed the name to ''Medicosma sessiliflora'' in the '' Australian Journal of Botany''.

Distribution and habitat

''Medicosma sessiliflora'' grows in rainforest from sea level to an altitude of and is found from near

Cooktown Cooktown is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs ...

to the

Atherton Tableland The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tina ...

in far north Queensland.

Conservation status

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

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18082763 sessiliflora Sapindales of Australia Flora of Queensland Plants described in 1936 Taxa named by Cyril Tenison White