Yellow Tulip

Drypetes deplanchei

BRANCH CONTACT

kingaroy@npq.org.au

Putranjivaceae (Euphorbiaceae)

Drypetes deplanchei

(Synonym: Drypetes australasica)

YELLOW TULIP, GREY BOXWOOD

Small to medium-sized tree to 25 m high, often flanged towards base; bark grey to brown, irregularly scaly, scales shedding and leaving shallow depressions. Buds densely hairy with brownish hairs, young stems sparsely hairy, older stems hairless; stipules 2, free, lanceolate, 1–1.2 mm long.

Leaves simple, alternate; lamina oblong-ovate to elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 3–13 cm long, and 1–6 cm wide, apex rounded to bluntly pointed, base abruptly tapered or rounded, margins ± entire to crenate or toothed with teeth almost prickly-toothed in some young trees, stiff and tough, both surfaces hairless and glossy, upper surface dark green, lower surface paler; pinnately veined with 6–9 pairs of lateral veins, distinct on both surfaces, minor veins distinct; petiole 2–9 mm long.

Inflorescences usually axillary, male flowers in few-flowered clusters or in short racemes, pedicels 5–8 mm long; female flowers solitary or axis branching and flowers clustered, pedicels 3–10 mm long. Flowers unisexual and plants dioecious, actinomorphic, 4–6 mm diam., perianth segments 4, yellow or greenish; male flowers with 6–10 stamens; female flowers with lobed ovary surrounded by cupular disc, topped by fan-shaped stigma lobes.

Fruit fleshy, a drupe, ellipsoid, 1–2 cm long, red to orange; stone solitary, 8–10 mm long.

Illustration of leaves & fruit

Habitat and Distribution:

In STRF, LRf, DRf and VTs; north from Dungog (Hunter Valley), N.S.W., to Torres Strait Islands, N Qld, and west to Carnarvon N.P., Qld; also N.T., W.A., New Guinea and New Caledonia.