Biology:Maniltoa lenticellata

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Short description: Species of legume

Maniltoa lenticellata
Maniltoa lenticellata - Silk Handkerchief Tree sprouting.JPG
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Maniltoa
Species:
M. lenticellata
Binomial name
Maniltoa lenticellata
(C. T. White)

Maniltoa lenticellata is a flowering tropical tree in the family Fabaceae. It is native to tropical semi-deciduous rainforest and gallery forests in northern Queensland, some of the Torres Strait Islands, and New Guinea. Common names include: silk handkerchief tree, cascading bean, and native handkerchief tree.

Maniltoa lenticellata flower by Sandy Lloyd

Maniltoa lenticellata can grow up to 22 m (72 ft) tall but, more commonly, only reaches 10–12 m (33–39 ft). It has compound leaves with 2-4 pairs of leaflets. New leaves are folded inside dull red bracts and then released in a spectacular cascade of white foliage. The fruity-scented flowers which appear in north Queensland in September to October have 3 to 5 white-cream petals, and may be pollinated by marsupials or bats. They produce a brown pod 25–70 mm long by 18-50mm containing one brown seed in November to March. It is a favoured garden tree.[1][2]

"Maniltoa lenticellata var. villosa Verdc. from New Guinea differs from var. lenticellata in having ovaries with dense, persistent hairs." Quoted from: [1]

Footnotes

  1. Endress and Steiner-Gafner (1996), p. 262.
  2. Beasley (2009), p. 111.

References

  • Beasley, John. (2009). Plants of Cape York: The Compact Guide. John Beasley, Kuranda, Qld., Australia. ISBN:978-0-9806863-0-2.
  • Endress, Peter K. and Brigitta Steiner-Gafner. (1996). Diversity and Evolutionary Biology of Tropical Flowers. Cambridge University Press. ISBN:0521565103, ISBN:978-0-521-56510-3

External links

Wikidata ☰ {{{from}}} entry