Alphitonia petriei
Encyclopedia
Alphitonia petriei known as the White Ash is a rainforest
tree in the Buckthorn family
. It grows in eastern and northern Australia
. Other common names include Red Ash, White-leaf, Pink Almond and Pink Ash. It was originally collected from the Johnston River near Kuranda, and named in 1925 by K.W. Braid. The authors gave it the species name petriei after W.R. Petrie, who alerted them to its distinctness.
Alphitonia petriei is usually found as a small tree around 20 metres (70 ft) tall. However, it has been recorded at 40 metres (130 ft) tall with a stem diameter of 60 cm in Queensland
. The trunk and larger branches bear fissured grey bark (darker brown in Queensland), and peeling or bruising of it gives off a strong scent of liniment
, which has been likened to oil of wintergreen methyl salicylate
. Arranged alternately on the smaller branches, simple narrow leaves measure 7–15 cm (3–6 in) in length and are dark glossy green above and covered with fine white hairs underneath. The tiny (0.5 cm diameter) creamy flowers have five petals and are found in panicles at the end of branchlets or between leaves. Flowering occurs in September to November, followed by the production of globular dark fruit around 1 to 1.5 cm diameter from February to July.
It is found in coastal rainforest, and in ecotone
areas in eucalyptus
forest from Darwin and Thursday Island in northern Australia south along the eastern coastline to the Upper Orara River in New South Wales. The leaves and shoots are eaten by farm animals.
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
tree in the Buckthorn family
Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae, the Buckthorn family, is a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs and some vines.The family contains 50-60 genera and approximately 870-900 species. The Rhamnaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are more common in the subtropical and tropical regions...
. It grows in eastern and northern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Other common names include Red Ash, White-leaf, Pink Almond and Pink Ash. It was originally collected from the Johnston River near Kuranda, and named in 1925 by K.W. Braid. The authors gave it the species name petriei after W.R. Petrie, who alerted them to its distinctness.
Alphitonia petriei is usually found as a small tree around 20 metres (70 ft) tall. However, it has been recorded at 40 metres (130 ft) tall with a stem diameter of 60 cm in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. The trunk and larger branches bear fissured grey bark (darker brown in Queensland), and peeling or bruising of it gives off a strong scent of liniment
Liniment
Liniment , from the Latin linere, to anoint, is a medicated topical preparation for application to the skin. Preparations of this type are also called balm...
, which has been likened to oil of wintergreen methyl salicylate
Methyl salicylate
Methyl salicylate is a natural product of many species of plants. Some of the plants which produce it are called wintergreens, hence the common name.-Botanical background:...
. Arranged alternately on the smaller branches, simple narrow leaves measure 7–15 cm (3–6 in) in length and are dark glossy green above and covered with fine white hairs underneath. The tiny (0.5 cm diameter) creamy flowers have five petals and are found in panicles at the end of branchlets or between leaves. Flowering occurs in September to November, followed by the production of globular dark fruit around 1 to 1.5 cm diameter from February to July.
It is found in coastal rainforest, and in ecotone
Ecotone
An ecotone is a transition area between two biomes but different patches of the landscape, such as forest and grassland. It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local or regional...
areas in eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
forest from Darwin and Thursday Island in northern Australia south along the eastern coastline to the Upper Orara River in New South Wales. The leaves and shoots are eaten by farm animals.