Kingdom Plantae Family Rubiaceae Tribe Vanguerieae Scientific name Cyclophyllum longipetalum | Order Gentianales Subfamily Ixoroideae Genus Cyclophyllum Rank Species | |
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Similar Cyclophyllum, Canthium, Acronychia, Cryptocarya, Banksia integrifolia | ||
Cyclophyllum longipetalum, known as the Coast Canthium is a shrub or tree occurring in eastern Australia. Commonly seen growing in a variety of different rainforest situations. From Lake Conjola in southern New South Wales to Fraser Island in south eastern Queensland.
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Description
Occasionally growing to tree size, the tallest trees are 25 metres tall and with a 50 cm trunk diameter. Often seen as a shrub growing at the edge of the eucalyptus rainforest ecotone.
The trunk is mostly straight, though sometimes buttressed at the base on larger trees. Bark is grey or brown, with some wrinkles, cracks or fissures. Small branches fairly thick, usually four angled (square in cross section).
Leaves
Leaves opposite on the stem, smooth edged without leaf serrations. 2 to 10 cm long, 1 to 4 cm wide. Leaf venation not particularly obvious on the upper side of the leaf. Leaves sometimes show foveolae at the leaf axils. That is (raised bumps where the lateral leaf veins branch off from the main leaf mid vein). Net veins not seen.
Flowers & fruit
Fragrant creamy golden brown flowers form from January to March. The fruit is a fleshy orange/red drupe, around 10 mm long. Seen from October to January. Within the fruit are often two seeds, one each within the two lobes of the hard capsule, surrounded by the glossy red aril.