Triflorensia cameronii

Triflorensia cameronii is a very rare rainforest plant of the coffee family, growing in a few areas of eastern Australia.[1] Found in Lismore, New South Wales as well as a few other locations in nearby Queensland. Soils are based on basalt, and the rainforest is the drier type, with hoop pine nearby.

Triflorensia cameronii
leaves of Triflorensia cameronii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Asterids
Order:
Gentianales
Family:
Rubiaceae
Subfamily:
Ixoroideae
Tribe:
Pavetteae
Genus:
Triflorensia
Species:
T. cameronii
Binomial name
Triflorensia cameronii
(C.T.White) S.T.Reynolds
Synonyms

Diplospora cameronii C.T.White
Tarenna cameronii (C.T.White) S.J.Ali & Robbr.

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 axils. Additionally, they form well above the leaf axils. Triangular stipules 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.[2] 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 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 in December 1924.

References
  1. Floyd AG. Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, Inkata Press 2008, ISBN 978-0-9589436-7-3 page 341
  2. "Triflorensia cameronii , PlantNET - NSW Flora Online". Retrieved 2010-08-24.
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