Bennett's ash facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bennett's ash |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Flindersia
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| Species: |
bennettii
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The Flindersia bennettii, also known as Bennett's ash, is a type of tree. It belongs to the Rutaceae family, which includes citrus plants. This tree is found only in north-eastern Australia.
Bennett's ash has special leaves called pinnate leaves. These leaves have smaller leaf parts called leaflets. It also grows cream-colored flowers and woody fruits that hold seeds with wings.
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What Does Bennett's Ash Look Like?
Bennett's ash is a tall tree. It can grow up to about 43 meters high. Its leaves usually grow in pairs. Each leaf is made up of three to nine smaller leaflets. These leaflets are shaped like an oval or an egg. They are about 60 to 190 millimeters long and 17 to 80 millimeters wide.
The top side of the leaflets is shiny and dark green. The bottom side is a lighter color. The side leaflets have short stalks, about 1 to 6 millimeters long. The leaflet at the very end has a longer stalk, about 8 to 30 millimeters long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of Bennett's ash grow in clusters called panicles. These clusters are found at the ends of the tree's branches. Sometimes, they also grow where the leaves meet the branch. The flower clusters can be up to 250 millimeters long.
The small green parts at the base of the flower, called sepals, are about 1 to 1.5 millimeters long. The flower petals are cream-colored or white. They are about 2.5 to 5 millimeters long and have a few hairs on their back. Bennett's ash flowers bloom from May to October.
After flowering, the tree produces a woody fruit. This fruit is a capsule about 4 to 7 millimeters long. It has rough bumps up to 4 millimeters long on its surface. Inside the fruit are seeds. These seeds are about 30 to 45 millimeters long and have wings on both ends. The wings help the seeds fly away in the wind.
Where Does Bennett's Ash Grow?
Bennett's ash mostly grows in rainforests. You can find it near streams or by the sea. It grows from sea level up to about 300 meters high. This tree is found in New South Wales, near the Clarence River. It also grows north into south-eastern Queensland, up to Bundaberg.
How Is Bennett's Ash Protected?
The Queensland Government has a law called the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Under this law, Bennett's ash is listed as "least concern." This means that the tree is not currently at risk of disappearing. There are enough of these trees in the wild.
What Is Bennett's Ash Used For?
The wood from Bennett's ash is very useful. It has a straight grain and is easy to work with. In the past, this timber was used to build coaches and boats. It was also used for making cabinets and other wooden items. It is also a great wood for carving. The wood is quite heavy, weighing between 800 and 850 kilograms per cubic meter.
