Syzygium alatoramulum

Tinkling satinash
Foliage and fruit
Conservation status
Least Concern (NCA)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Genus:	Syzygium
Species:	S. alatoramulum
Binomial name
Syzygium alatoramulum B.Hyland

Botanical sketch

Syzygium alatoramulum, commonly known as tinkling satinash, is a plant in the clove and eucalyptus family Myrtaceae, found only in the Wet Tropics bioregion of Queensland, Australia.

Description

Syzygium alatoramulum is a small poorly formed tree which may reach 20 m (66 ft) in height and 80 cm (30 in) trunk diameter, but is usually much smaller than this. The twigs are somewhat square in cross-section with conspicuous wings. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs and are held on very short petioles (leaf stalks) about 5 mm (0.2 in) long. The leaf blades average about 10 cm (3.9 in) long and 3.5 cm (1.4 in) wide, with 10–15 pairs of conspicuous lateral veins. There are two intramarginal veins (that is, veins that run parallel to the leaf margin), the first of which is indistinct and about 1 mm from the margin, the second is conspicuous and about 4 mm (0.16 in) from the margin. Numerous pellucid glands , or 'oil dots', are visible to the naked eye.

The inflorescence is paniculate with flowers in triads, and they are produced either terminally or in the upper leaf axils. The flowers are white, four merous, and in bud they are shaped like a spinning top — after opening, the corolla tube tapers evenly into the pedicel, or flower stalk. The petals are rounded and about 1.5 mm (0.06 in) diameter, stamens are numerous and about 5 mm (0.20 in) long, and the pistil is about the same length or slightly longer.

The fruit is a berry about 15 mm (0.6 in) wide and long. It is white or cream, with a very subtle tinge of purple. It contains a single seed about 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter.

Phenology

Flowering occurs from September to January, and fruit appear between January and March.

Taxonomy

This plant was first described in 1983 by the Australian botanist Bernard Hyland. He published his description, which was based on material collected by himself in 1971, in the journal Australian Journal of Botany.

Etymology

The genus name Syzygium comes from the Ancient Greek sýzygos, meaning 'joined', 'yoked', or 'paired', and refers to the paired leaves. The species epithet alatoramulum is created from a combination of the Latin alatus, 'winged', and ramulus, 'branch' or 'twig', which refers to the prominent wings on the twigs.

Distribution and habitat

Syzygium alatoramulum is restricted to a small part of NE Queensland, specifically the coastal areas from the Windsor Tableland to Mount Bartle Frere, at altitudes from {{cvt|50|to|1200|m}. It grows in wet eucalypt forest and rainforest, close to water courses, on soils derived from granite.

Conservation

This species is listed as least concern under the Queensland Government's Nature Conservation Act. As of 18 July 2024, it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Gallery

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  Trunk
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  Leaves
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  Underside of leaves
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  Flowers
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  Fruit

External links

• View a map of herbarium collections of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium
• View observations of this species on iNaturalist
• View images of this species on Flickriver.com