Vic Stockwell's puzzle facts for kids

Stockwellia is a special type of large tree found only in Australia. It's the only known species in its group, which is also called Stockwellia. These trees are part of the Myrtaceae plant family, which includes many well-known Australian trees like eucalypts. Sometimes, people call Stockwellia quadrifida by common names like stockwellia or Vic Stockwell's puzzle.

About Stockwellia Trees

These impressive trees can grow very tall, up to 40 meters (about 130 feet) high! They are found only in a specific area of the beautiful Wet Tropics rainforests in north-eastern Queensland, Australia. They usually grow at altitudes between 500 and 750 meters (about 1,640 to 2,460 feet) above sea level.

How They Were Found

For a long time, these trees were unknown to scientists from Europe. That changed in 1971 when a forest ranger named Victor Stockwell (1918–1999) discovered them. He used aerial photographs (pictures taken from an airplane) to help find the small area where these large trees grow. That's why one of their common names is "Vic Stockwell's puzzle"!

Their Plant Relatives

Scientists who study plant genetics have found that Stockwellia trees are closely related to two other plant groups. Their closest relatives are two species from New Guinea that belong to the genus Eucalyptopsis. They are also related to a species called Allosyncarpia ternata, which is found only in a small area of the Arnhem Land plateau in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Protecting Stockwellia

Because Stockwellia trees grow in such a small, isolated area, they have a special conservation status. The Queensland government officially listed them as "near threatened" in 2013. This means they are not in immediate danger, but their numbers could become threatened if their habitat isn't protected.

Who Eats Their Seeds

The seeds of Stockwellia trees are a tasty snack for sulphur-crested cockatoos, which are large, white parrots common in Australia.

See also

• Stockwellia para niños (In Spanish)