Rutaceae

Phebalium distans

MT BERRYMAN PHEBALIUM

Shrub or small tree to 8 m high; bark pale greyish brown, longitudinally wrinkled. Buds and young stems densely scaly with silvery to rusty circular peltate scales, older stems sparsely scaly or scales absent, sparsely glandular-warty; stipules absent.

Leaves simple, alternate; lamina linear to very narrow-elliptic, 1.5–6 cm long, 2–4.5 mm wide, apex ± acute, base rounded to tapered, margins recurved, both surfaces hairless, upper surface dark green, glossy, gland dotted, lower surface silvery scaly; pinnately veined with 15–25 pairs of lateral veins, obscure or faint on upper surface (more apparent in dried leaves), obscured by scales on lower surface and often appearing 1-veined; oil dots distinct, large, scattered, visible without a hand lens; leaves aromatic when crushed; petiole 1–3 mm long.

Inflorescences terminal, umbels, many-flowered. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, 5-merous; sepals silvery to rusty scaly; petals 2–3 mm long, white to cream; stamens 10, strongly exserted; carpels 5, ± free, ovaries superior.

Fruit dry at dehiscence, 1–5 basally fused follicles, 3–4 mm long, surrounded by persistent sepals; follicles gland-dotted and covered with circular scales; seed 1 in each follicle.

Illustration of leaves & fruit

Habitat and Distribution:

In DRf and VTs; from the Lockyer district north to Gayndah, Qld.

Notes:

Listed as Endangered in Qld and Critically Endangered in the Commonwealth.

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