Melicope contermina facts for kids

Melicope contermina is a special type of shrub or small tree. It belongs to the Rutaceae family, which includes citrus plants like oranges and lemons. This plant is endemic to Lord Howe Island, meaning it grows naturally only there. It has leaves made of three parts and produces white flowers.

What it Looks Like

Melicope contermina is a shrub or tree that usually grows to be about 5 to 6 meters (16 to 20 feet) tall. Its leaves are made up of three smaller parts, like a clover. These leaves grow in pairs opposite each other on the stem.

Each whole leaf can be 7 to 21 centimeters (3 to 8 inches) long. It has a main stem, called a petiole, which is 1.5 to 8 centimeters (0.6 to 3 inches) long. The three smaller leaf parts, called leaflets, are oval-shaped. They are about 4 to 9 centimeters (1.6 to 3.5 inches) long and 2 to 3.5 centimeters (0.8 to 1.4 inches) wide. You can see many tiny oil dots on them.

The middle leaflet has a small stalk (a petiolule) that is 0.5 to 1.8 centimeters (0.2 to 0.7 inches) long. The two side leaflets are not perfectly even and either have no stalk or a very short one, up to 7 millimeters (0.3 inches) long.

The flowers are white or creamy white. They grow in clusters called panicles, which are 5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches) long. Each cluster has about nine to fifteen flowers. The flowers on a single plant can be different. Some might have both male and female parts (bisexual). Others might have only male parts, only female parts, or a mix of both on the same plant.

The sepals, which are small leaf-like parts that protect the flower bud, are round or egg-shaped and about 1 to 2 millimeters (0.04 to 0.08 inches) long. The petals are 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters (0.06 to 0.1 inches) long. Each flower has eight stamens, which are the male parts that produce pollen.

Melicope contermina flowers from late October to late December. After flowering, it produces fruit. The fruit is made of up to four parts called follicles, which are 1.2 to 1.8 centimeters (0.5 to 0.7 inches) long and joined at the base. Inside, the seeds are shiny black and 5 to 6 millimeters (0.2 to 0.24 inches) long.

How it Was Named

The plant Melicope contermina was first officially described in 1871. This was done by two botanists, Charles Moore and Ferdinand von Mueller. They wrote about it in a book called Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. They studied samples of the plant found near the bottom of Mount Gower on Lord Howe Island.

The second part of its scientific name, contermina, comes from two Latin words. "Con" means "with," and "terminus" means "end." This name refers to how the styles (parts of the female flower) are joined together at their ends.

Where it Lives

This plant is only found on Lord Howe Island. It grows in forests and on open ridges there. It is considered somewhat rare. You are most likely to see it in Erskine Valley, which is located between Mount Lidgbird and Mount Gower, at the southern end of the island.