Scented acronychia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scented acronychia |
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| Acronychia littoralis in the ANBG | |
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| Genus: |
Acronychia
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| Species: |
littoralis
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The Scented Acronychia (Acronychia littoralis) is a small tree. It is found only along the eastern coast of Australia. This tree gets its name from its lovely scent. It has smooth, oval-shaped leaves. It also has small yellow flowers and creamy-yellow fruits that look like eggs.
Contents
What the Scented Acronychia Looks Like
The Scented Acronychia is a tree that usually grows to be about 6 to 8 meters (20 to 26 feet) tall. It has a straight, grey, and round trunk.
Its leaves are smooth and grow in pairs opposite each other. They are wide and oval-shaped, often narrower at the bottom. The leaves are usually 40 to 140 millimeters (1.6 to 5.5 inches) long. They are also 30 to 65 millimeters (1.2 to 2.6 inches) wide. Each leaf has a stem called a petiole that is 10 to 25 millimeters (0.4 to 1 inch) long.
The flowers grow in small groups, mostly where the leaves meet the stem. These groups are called cymes and are 20 to 60 millimeters (0.8 to 2.4 inches) long. Each flower sits on a tiny stalk called a pedicel, which is about 1.5 to 3.5 millimeters (0.06 to 0.14 inches) long.
Each flower has four sepals, which are small leaf-like parts, about 2.5 to 3 millimeters (0.1 to 0.12 inches) wide. It also has four yellow petals, which are 8 to 9 millimeters (0.3 to 0.35 inches) long. There are eight stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. They are different lengths.
The Scented Acronychia flowers from February to March. Its fruit is a soft, creamy-yellow, egg-shaped fruit. It is called a drupe and is 8 to 14 millimeters (0.3 to 0.55 inches) long. The fruit has four parts separated by small grooves.
How the Scented Acronychia Got Its Name
The Scented Acronychia was first officially described in 1984. Two scientists, Thomas Hartley and J.B. Williams, gave it its formal name, Acronychia littoralis. They wrote about it in a science journal called Brunonia. They had collected samples of the tree near Brunswick Heads in 1979.
Where the Scented Acronychia Lives
The Scented Acronychia grows in rainforests. It is found within 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) of the coast. Its home stretches from Fraser Island in Queensland down to Iluka in New South Wales, Australia.
Protecting the Scented Acronychia
The Scented Acronychia is considered an "endangered" species. This means it is at a high risk of disappearing forever. It is protected by several laws in Australia:
- The Australian Government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
- New South Wales Government's Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016
- Queensland Government's Nature Conservation Act 1992
The main dangers to this tree include:
- Damage from four-wheel drive vehicles.
- Invasion by weeds that take over its habitat.
- Damage from salt spray in places close to the ocean.
Gallery
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Young leaves
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Trunk of the tree
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Flower buds and leaves
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Flowers and leaves
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Flowers and leaves
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Flowers and leaves
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How the tree looks in the Coffs Harbour Botanic Garden
See also
In Spanish: Acronychia littoralis para niños
