Flindersia pimenteliana, commonly known as maple silkwood, red beech or rose silkwood,[2] is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to New Guinea and Queensland. It has pinnate leaves with three to seven egg-shaped to elliptic leaflets, panicles of red or reddish flowers and fruit studded with rough points.
| Maple silkwood | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Rutaceae |
| Genus: | Flindersia |
| Species: | F. pimenteliana
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| Binomial name | |
| Flindersia pimenteliana | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description
editFlindersia pimenteliana is a tree that typically grows to a height of 36 m (118 ft). It has pinnate leaves 70–250 mm (2.8–9.8 in) long arranged in more or less opposite pairs with three to seven, egg-shaped to elliptic leaflets 35–120 mm (1.4–4.7 in) long and 13–50 mm (0.51–1.97 in) wide. The side leaflets are on a petiolule 3–15 mm (0.12–0.59 in) long and the end leaflet on a petiolule 12–40 mm (0.47–1.57 in) long. The flowers are arranged in panicles 90–170 mm (3.5–6.7 in) long, the five sepals about 1 mm (0.039 in) long and the five petals red or reddish and 2.5–4 mm (0.098–0.157 in) long. Flowering occurs from November to February and the fruit is a woody capsule 60–90 mm (2.4–3.5 in) long and studded with rough points up to 4 mm (0.16 in) long. The fruit opens into five valves, releasing winged seeds 40–60 mm (1.6–2.4 in) long.[2][3]
Taxonomy
editFlindersia pimenteliana was first formally described in 1875 by Ferdinand von Mueller in Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae from specimens collected near Rockingham Bay by John Dallachy.[4][5]
Distribution and habitat
editMaple silkwood grows in rainforest in Australia and New Guinea. In Australia in grows at altitudes from 20 to 1,250 m (66 to 4,101 ft) and is found from Mount Finnigan in Ngalba Bulal (Cedar Bay) National Park) south to Paluma Range National Park near Townsville.[2][6]
Uses
editGood quality, decorative cabinet timber has been produced by this tree but because it is mostly only found in reserves, the timber is in very short supply. Attempts to grow this species in plantations have failed.[3]
Chemical constituents
editF. pimenteliana contains tryptamine alkaloids known as pimentelamines. They are adducts of ascorbic acid. The plant also contains 2-isoprenyl-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, another tryptamine alkaloid, as well as 4-methylborreverine, borreverine, dimethylisoborreverine, quercitrin, and carpachromene.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b "Flindersia pimenteliana". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ a b c Hartley, T.J. (2022). Wilson, A.J.G. (ed.). "Flindersia pimenteliana". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ a b F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Flindersia pimenteliana". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Flindersia pimenteliana". APNI. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ von Mueller, Ferdinand (1875). Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae (Volume 9). Vol. 9. Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer. p. 132. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ "Search: species: Flindersia pimenteliana | Occurrence records | The Australasian Virtual Herbarium". Australasian Virtual Herbarium. Australian Government. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ Robertson, Luke P.; Duffy, Sandra; Wang, Yun; Wang, Dongdong; Avery, Vicky M.; Carroll, Anthony R. (22 December 2017). "Pimentelamines A–C, Indole Alkaloids Isolated from the Leaves of the Australian Tree Flindersia pimenteliana". Journal of Natural Products. 80 (12): 3211–3217. doi:10.1021/acs.jnatprod.7b00587. ISSN 0163-3864. PMID 29236492.