Atalaya multiflora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Atalaya multiflora |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Atalaya
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multiflora
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Atalaya multiflora, also known as the broad leaved whitewood, is a special and rare tree found in the rainforests of eastern Australia. It belongs to the soapberry family, which also includes plants like lychees and maples. This tree is considered endangered, meaning it's important to protect it.
It often grows in drier rainforest areas, sometimes on rocky slopes made of basalt (a type of volcanic rock). You can also find it in warmer, lowland rainforests where the soil is rich. A famous plant expert named George Bentham first described this tree in his book Flora Australiensis in 1863. He gave it the name multiflora because it has so many flowers.
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What Does the Broad Leaved Whitewood Look Like?
This tree is usually small, growing up to 25 metres (about 80 feet) tall. Its trunk can be up to 40 centimetres (about 16 inches) wide. The base of the tree might not be perfectly round; it can be a bit uneven or crooked.
The bark is mostly smooth and has a greyish-brown colour. The smaller branches are thick and have tiny marks called lenticels, which are like small pores. You can also see clear scars where old leaves used to be.
Leaves of the Whitewood Tree
The leaves of the broad leaved whitewood are special. They are called "compound leaves" and grow in an alternating pattern along the stem. This means they are made up of smaller leaflets. Each whole leaf is usually 7 to 24 centimetres (about 3 to 10 inches) long.
Each compound leaf typically has two or three leaflets. These leaflets are shaped like an oval or a long rectangle. They are 4 to 12 centimetres (about 1.6 to 5 inches) long and 1.5 to 4 centimetres (about 0.6 to 1.6 inches) wide. The edges of the leaflets are smooth, without any teeth or jagged parts. The tip of each leaflet often has a small notch. You can easily see about 12 pairs of straight veins on the underside of the leaflets.
Flowers, Fruit, and How New Trees Grow
From December to January, this tree produces many tiny, creamy-coloured flowers. These flowers grow in clusters called panicles at the ends of the branches. Each flower has five petals and five sepals (which are like small leaves protecting the flower bud). They also have eight stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen. Near the flowers, you'll find many small, leaf-like structures called bracts.
After the flowers, the tree produces its unique fruit from March to May. The fruit is a pair of winged seeds, called samarae, and they are fawn-coloured. Each seed has a wing that is about 3 centimetres long. This wing helps the seed spin and float away from the tree when it falls.
Once the seeds land on the ground, they don't last long because insects often attack them. To help new trees grow, it's best to soak fresh seeds in water. This helps to kill any insect larvae inside. After soaking, the seeds should be planted as soon as possible.
See also
In Spanish: Atalaya multiflora para niños
