Melicope peninsularis facts for kids

The Melicope peninsularis is a type of small tree found only in tropical North Queensland, Australia. It belongs to the Rutaceae family, which also includes citrus trees like oranges and lemons. This tree is special because its leaves have three parts, and its white flowers grow in small clusters where the leaves meet the stem.

What it Looks Like

Melicope peninsularis is a slender tree that usually grows up to about 10 meters (about 33 feet) tall. Its leaves grow in pairs on opposite sides of the branch. Each leaf has a stalk, called a petiole, which is about 4 to 12 centimeters (1.6 to 4.7 inches) long.

The leaf itself is made up of three smaller leaves, called leaflets. These leaflets are oval-shaped and attach directly to the main leaf stalk without their own tiny stems. Each leaflet is about 9 to 17 centimeters (3.5 to 6.7 inches) long and 4.5 to 7 centimeters (1.8 to 2.8 inches) wide.

The flowers are white and grow in small clusters, about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) long. These clusters appear where the leaves join the branch. Each flower has both male and female parts, meaning it can produce seeds on its own. The flowers have small, leaf-like parts called sepals, which are about 2.5 millimeters (0.1 inches) long and joined at the bottom. The white petals are about 5 to 6 millimeters (0.2 to 0.24 inches) long, and each flower has four stamens (the parts that produce pollen).

This tree has been seen flowering in February. After flowering, it produces fruit made of four small pods, called follicles. These pods are about 8 to 12 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long and are joined together at their base.

How it was Named

The Melicope peninsularis was officially named and described in 2001 by a scientist named Thomas Gordon Hartley. He wrote about it in a science journal called Allertonia. The first specimens (samples) of this tree were collected in 1992 from a place called Lockerbie Scrub.

Where it Lives

This type of melicope tree grows in rainforests. It is only found in two specific places: at the very tip of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, and on Darnley Island, which is part of the Torres Strait.

Conservation Status

The Queensland Government has a law called the Nature Conservation Act 1992 that helps protect plants and animals. Under this law, the Melicope peninsularis is currently listed as being of "least concern." This means that, for now, there are enough of these trees, and they are not considered to be in danger of disappearing.