Pentaceras facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bastard crow's ash |
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| Genus: |
Pentaceras
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| Species: |
australe
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The Bastard Crow's Ash (Pentaceras australe) is a special tree found only in eastern Australia. It's also known as Penta Ash or Black Teak. This tree belongs to the Rutaceae plant family, which also includes citrus fruits! It's the only type of tree in its group, called Pentaceras. You can find it growing in rainforests.
This tree has unique leaves that look like feathers, with many smaller leaves called leaflets. It also grows small, white, sweet-smelling flowers. Later, these flowers turn into interesting winged seeds that can fly away in the wind.
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What the Tree Looks Like
The Bastard Crow's Ash is a tree that can grow quite tall. It often reaches about 27 meters (89 feet) high. Its main trunk can be around 45 centimeters (18 inches) wide.
Bark and Leaves
The bark of this tree is smooth and has a grey-fawn color. You might see small horizontal lines on it. At the bottom of larger trees, the trunk can be wider, like it has "flanges."
The leaves are very long, from 15 to 50 centimeters (6 to 20 inches). Each leaf is made up of 5 to 15 smaller leaflets. These leaflets can be shaped like an egg or a spear. They are usually 5 to 13 centimeters (2 to 5 inches) long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of the Bastard Crow's Ash are small, about 6 millimeters (0.24 inches) across. They are white and have a lovely smell. These flowers grow in clusters called panicles, which are like branched groups of flowers. These clusters can be 12 to 35 centimeters (5 to 14 inches) long.
The tree usually flowers from June to October. After the flowers, the tree produces a special kind of fruit called a samara. This fruit is winged, meaning it has a flat, papery wing that helps the seed inside fly away in the wind. The samara is 2 to 4.5 centimeters (0.8 to 1.8 inches) long, and the seed itself is tiny, only about 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) long.
How it Got its Name
The scientific name for this tree, Pentaceras, was first described in 1862. This was done by two important botanists, George Bentham and Joseph Dalton Hooker. They wrote about it in a book called Genera Plantarum.
Later, in 1863, another botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller described a similar plant. He called it Cookia australis. But in the same year, George Bentham changed the name to Pentaceras australe. He published this new name in his book Flora Australiensis.
Where it Grows
The Bastard Crow's Ash tree lives in rainforests. It often prefers dry rainforest areas. You can find it growing from places near the sea up to altitudes of 900 meters (3,000 feet).
This tree is found in eastern Australia. Its range stretches from near Gympie in Queensland down to near Stroud in New South Wales.
Is it Protected?
Good news! The Bastard Crow's Ash is not currently at risk of disappearing. The Queensland Government has classified it as being of "least concern." This means there are enough of these trees in the wild. This classification is under their Nature Conservation Act 1992.
