''Wilkiea huegeliana'' is a common small tree of

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 ...

in 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 ...

. Common names include common wilkiea, tetra beech, and veiny wilkiea. Originally described by French naturalist

Louis René Tulasne Louis René Étienne Tulasne, a.k.a. Edmond Tulasne (12 September 1815 – 22 December 1885) was a French botanist and mycologist born in Azay-le-Rideau. He originally studied law at Poitiers, but his interest later turned to botany. As a youn ...

, it was given its current name by

Alphonse Pyramus de Candolle Alphonse Louis Pierre Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (28 October 18064 April 1893) was a French-Swiss botanist, the son of the Swiss botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. Biography De Candolle, son of Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, first devot ...

. The natural distribution is from Mount Dromedary (36° S) near

Narooma Narooma is a town in the Australian state of New South Wales on the far south coast. The town is on the Princes Highway, which crosses the Wagonga Inlet to North Narooma. The heritage town of Central Tilba is nearby to the south. The name Naro ...

in south eastern

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

to Maryborough (25° S) in south eastern

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_ ...

. It has a preference for volcanic soils. The habitat of the common wilkiea is in the

understorey In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abov ...

of all forms or rainforest, except cool temperate forest subject to colder temperatures.

Description

''Wilkiea huegeliana'' is a shrub or small tree achieving a height of , and a stem diameter of . The trunk is often crooked and irregular though not buttressed. The bark is smooth, brown or greyish, though can be somewhat scaly on larger plants. The leaves measure long, and wide, and are opposite on the stem. Elliptic or oblong in shape, they usually have toothed margins, though rarely entire. Rounded at the top, tapering at the stem end of the leaf. Dark and glossy above the leaf, dull and paler underneath. The leaf stalks are 3 to 11 mm long, and are very heavily and noticeably veined, particularly below the leaf. A

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

species, the plants are either male or female. The yellow green fragrant flowers form from September to February. Fruit matures from May to September. The fruiting receptacle is shiny black in colour, 7 to 12 mm in diameter, without a stalk. Several of them sit together on a tubular disk. Regeneration is from fresh seeds that stand out white on the darker forest floor, after having been dropped by birds. ''Wilkiea huegeliana'' is most likely pollinated by ''

Thrips setipennis Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...

'', a species of

thrips Thrips ( order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...

. These insects have been found in both male and female flowers.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q8002501 Monimiaceae Laurales of Australia Trees of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland