Hickory ash facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hickory ash |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Flindersia
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| Species: |
ifflana
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The Hickory Ash (scientific name: Flindersia ifflana) is a tall tree. It is also known as Cairns Hickory. This tree belongs to the Rutaceae family, which is the same family as citrus fruits! You can find it growing naturally in Papua New Guinea and Queensland, Australia. The Hickory Ash has special leaves. Each leaf has many smaller leaflets, usually four to twelve. Its flowers are white or cream-colored and grow in clusters. After flowering, it grows woody fruits with rough bumps.
What it Looks Like
The Hickory Ash is a very tall tree. It can grow up to 35 meters high. That's about as tall as a 12-story building! Older trees have thick bark with deep cracks.
Its leaves are arranged in pairs. They are called "pinnate" leaves. This means each leaf has several smaller leaf parts, called leaflets. These leaflets are shaped like eggs or ovals. They are about 6 to 13.5 centimeters long and 2.5 to 5.5 centimeters wide. Each leaflet has a small stalk about 4 to 10 millimeters long.
The flowers grow in groups called "panicles." These flower clusters can be 10 to 25 centimeters long. Some of these flowers are male-only. The tiny green leaf-like parts under the petals, called sepals, are about 1 millimeter long. The actual flower petals are white or cream-colored. They are about 2 to 2.5 millimeters long. Hickory Ash trees usually bloom from October to March.
After the flowers, the tree produces a woody fruit. This fruit is a capsule. It is about 3.2 to 5.5 centimeters long. Inside the capsule are seeds. These seeds are about 2.7 to 3.3 centimeters long. The fruit has rough points on its surface.
Tree History and Naming
The Hickory Ash was first officially described in 1877. A scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller gave it its formal name. He wrote about it in his book Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. The tree was discovered by Walter Hill. He collected samples of the tree near Trinity Bay.
Where it Grows
Hickory Ash trees grow in rainforests. You can find them in Papua New Guinea. They also grow in Queensland, Australia. These trees like to grow at different heights. They can be found from 30 meters up to 900 meters above sea level. In Queensland, they grow from Cape Grenville down to areas near Atherton.
