Melicope micrococca
| Melicope micrococca | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Melicope micrococca - foliage | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Rutaceae |
| Genus: | Melicope |
| Species: | M. micrococca |
| Binomial name | |
| Melicope micrococca F. Muell. & Thomas Gordon Hartley | |
| Synonyms | |
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Melicope micrococca is an Australian rainforest tree in the citrus family. Its natural range is from the Seven Mile Beach, New South Wales (34° S) to Maryborough, Queensland (25° S). The white euodia, white doughwood or hairy-leaved doughwood is found in many rainforest types on the east coast of Australia.
Description
A medium-sized rainforest tree growing to 35 metres tall with a diameter of 60 cm. The trunk is relatively smooth, pale brown with some corky irregularities. Mostly cylindrical in shape, though some larger trees are flanged at the base.
The opposite leaflets are in threes, mostly ovate without serrations, 5 to 13 cm long with a blunt tip. The underside of the leaf is paler than above, leaf stalks are quite hairy. The central leaf stalk of the three is longer than the leaf stalk on the left and right leaves.
White flowers form in panicles in the months of November to March. The fruit are small carpels, grey in colour, with a single black seed. The fruit ripens between January and June. Natural regeneration can be prolific in the wild, with dozens of three leaved juvenile plants appearing in open areas.
Ecology
The fruit is eaten by a variety of birds, including the brown cuckoo dove, crimson rosella, green catbird and Lewin's honeyeater. Melicope micrococca is a target species for many insects, including butterflies in the family Papilionidae.
References
- Floyd, A.G., Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, Inkata Press 1989, ISBN 0-909605-57-2