Cryptocarya murrayi commonly known as Murray's laurel,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Lauraceae and is endemic to north Queensland. It is a tree with elliptic to oval to oblong leaves, cream-coloured, unpleasantly perfumed flowers, and elliptic to spherical black drupes.
| Cryptocarya murrayi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Leaves and flowers | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: | Lauraceae |
| Genus: | Cryptocarya |
| Species: | C. murrayi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cryptocarya murrayi | |
Description
editCryptocarya murrayi is a tree that typically grows to a height of up to 30 m (98 ft), its stems buttressed and twigs hairy. Its leaves are elliptic to oval to oblong 115–300 mm (4.5–11.8 in) long, 45–105 mm (1.8–4.1 in) wide and glaucous on the lower surface, on a petiole 8–19 mm (0.31–0.75 in) long. The flowers are arranged in panicles in leaf axils and are longer than the leaves. They are cream-coloured and unpleasantly perfumed. The perianth tube is 0.8–1.9 mm (0.03–0.07 in) long, 1.5–2.1 mm (0.06–0.08 in) wide. The outer anthers are 0.6–0.8 mm (0.02–0.03 in) long and 0.5–0.7 mm (0.02–0.03 in) wide, the inner anthers 0.6–0.9 mm (0.02–0.04 in) long and 0.5–0.7 mm (0.02–0.03 in) wide. Flowering occurs from December to July, and the fruit is an elliptical to spherical black drupe, 13–18 mm (0.5–0.7 in) long and 12–15 mm (0.47–0.59 in) wide with creamy cotyledons.[2][3]
Taxonomy
editCryptocarya murrayi was first formally described in 1866 by Ferdinand von Mueller in his Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae from specimens collected near Rockingham Bay by John Dallachy.[4][5]
Distribution and habitat
editThis species of Cryptocarya grows in rainforest from sea level to an altitude of 750 m (2,460 ft) between Cooktown in north-east Queensland and Mackey in central-eastern Queensland.[2][3]
Conservation status
editCryptocarya murrayi is listed as of "least concern" by the Queensland Government Department of Education and Science.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Cryptocarya murrayi". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Le Cussan, J.; Hyland, Bernard P.M. "Cryptocarya murrayi". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Cryptocarya murrayi". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ "Cryptocarya murrayi". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ von Mueller, Ferdinand (1866). Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae. Vol. 5. Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer. pp. 170–171. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ "Species profile —Cryptocarya murrayi (Murray's laurel)". Queensland Government Department of Education and Science. Retrieved 11 August 2024.