''Triflorensia cameronii '' is a very rare

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 ...

plant of the coffee family, growing in a few areas 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

Lismore, New South Wales Lismore is a city in northeastern New South Wales, Australia and the main population centre in the City of Lismore Local government in Australia, local government area; it is also a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State. It ...

as well as a few other locations in nearby

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. Soils are based on

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

, and the rainforest is the drier type, with

hoop pine ''Araucaria cunninghamii'' is a species of '' Araucaria'' known as hoop pine. Other less commonly used names include colonial pine, Queensland pine, Dorrigo pine, Moreton Bay pine and Richmond River pine. The scientific name honours the botanist ...

nearby.

Description

A shrub or a small tree, up to 6 metres in height with a crooked trunk with brown bark. Small branches are pale with thin bark coming off in flakes. The sideways shoots arise from the leaf

axil A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

s. Additionally, they form well above the leaf axils. Triangular

stipules In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole). Stipules are considered part of the anatomy of the leaf of a typical flowering plant, although in many speci ...

form between the leaf pairs, with a fine tip.

Leaves

Leaves are ovate to elliptic in shape. 4 to 10 cm long, and 1.2 to 4.5 cm wide. Opposite on the stem, with smooth edges. Thick, not glossy and hairless. Paler below with a short leaf tip. Leaf stems 5 to 15 mm long. The main leaf vein, the ''mid rib'' is raised on the top side with a noticeable channel. There's around 10 lateral veins which loop around the edge of the leaf.

Flowers and fruit

Whitish green flowers form from August to November, appearing on three main branchlets each with three flowers, or a further three more branchlets. The middle flower of which has a very short stalk, those on the side longer. The fruit is a black oval

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

with the remains of the sepals still attached. Within the fruit is between one and five seeds. Fruit mature from December to February. Fresh seed are advised for regeneration.

Taxonomy

The scientific name refers to the flowers forming in threes, (''Triflorensia'') and the specific epithet names M.A. Cameron, who collected the original specimen at

Yarraman Yarraman is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Yarraman had a population of 1,064 people. Geography Yarraman is located northwest of the state capital, Brisbane on the junction of the New England ...

in December 1924.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7841497 Pavetteae Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Trees of Australia