Stockwellia
| Stockwellia | |
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| Genus: | Stockwellia |
| Species: | S. quadrifida
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| Binomial name | |
| Stockwellia quadrifida | |
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Stockwellia is a genus of a sole described species of large Australian trees, constituting part of the plant family Myrtaceae and included in the eucalypts group.[1] The species Stockwellia quadrifida sometimes has the common names of Stockwellia or Vic Stockwell's puzzle.[1][3]
Botanists' descriptions record that these large trees up to 40 m (130 ft) tall, grow naturally isolated only (endemic) in one region of the luxuriant Wet Tropics rainforests of north-eastern Queensland, and within an altitude range of about 500–750 m (1,600–2,500 ft).[1][3][4]
They were not known to European Australian science until 1971, when the first steps were made in aerial photography forest interpretation, which led to the discovery by north Queensland forest ranger Victor Stockwell (1918–1999) of the restricted area of these large trees.[5][6]
Plant geneticists have found the evolutionarily closest relatives in the two New Guinea species of the genus Eucalyptopsis, the only two species known in that genus, and in the species Allosyncarpia ternata, the only known species in its genus, found only (endemic) in a restricted area, of the Arnhem Land plateau, Northern Territory, Australia.[7]
Stockwellia trees' rare, endemic, geographically isolated distribution has obtained the conservation status "near threatened", officially listed in the regulation current as of 27 September 2013[update], of the Queensland government legislation, the Nature Conservation Act 1992.[8]
The seeds are eaten by sulphur-crested cockatoos.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e Carr, Denis J.; Carr, Stella G. M.; Hyland, Bernie P. M.; Wilson, Peter G.; Ladiges, Pauline Y. (2002). "Stockwellia quadrifida (Myrtaceae), a new Australian genus and species in the eucalypt group". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 139: 415–421. doi:10.1046/j.1095-8339.2002.00062.x. Retrieved 3 Dec 2013.
- ^ a b "Stockwellia%". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS) database (listing by % wildcard matching of all taxa relevant to Australia). Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 3 Dec 2013.
- ^ a b c Hyland, B. P. M.; Whiffin, T.; Zich, F. A.; et al. (Dec 2010). "Factsheet – Stockwellia quadrifida". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants (6.1, online version RFK 6.1 ed.). Cairns, Australia: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), through its Division of Plant Industry; the Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research; the Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University. Retrieved 3 Dec 2013.
- ^ a b c Cooper, Wendy; Cooper, William T. (June 2004). "Stockwellia quadrifida D.J.Carr, S.G.M.Carr & B.Hyland". Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia: Nokomis Editions. p. 355. ISBN 9780958174213. Retrieved 3 Dec 2013.
- ^ Elick, Rebel; Wilson, Peter (Dec 2002). "The discovery of Stockwellia (Myrtaceae)" (PDF). Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter. 113 (December). Australasian Systematic Botany Society Inc.: 15–16. ISSN 1034-1218. Retrieved 3 Dec 2013.
- ^ Breeden, Stanley (1992). Visions of a Rainforest: A year in Australia's tropical rainforest. Illustrated by William T. Cooper. Foreword by Sir David Attenborough. (1st ed.). East Roseville: Simon & Schuster Australia. pp. 170–173. ISBN 0-7318-0058-3. Retrieved 3 Dec 2013.
- ^ Udovicic, Frank; Ladiges, Pauline Y. (2000). "Informativeness of nuclear and chloroplast DNA regions and the phylogeny of the eucalypts and related genera". Kew Bulletin. 55: 633–645. doi:10.2307/4118780. Retrieved 3 Dec 2013.
- ^ Queensland Government (27 Sep 2013). "Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006" (PDF). Nature Conservation Act 1992. Online, accessed from www.legislation.qld.gov.au. Australia. p. 76. Retrieved 28 Nov 2013.
External links
- Photographs by Don Franklin, Jan 2013.