Polyscias sambucifolia
| Small Basswood | |
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| Polyscias sambucifolia subsp. sambucifolia growing near Brisbane Water National Park, Australia | |
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| Species: | P. sambucifolia
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| Polyscias sambucifolia | |
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Polyscias sambucifolia, known as the Small Basswood includes a group of plants occurring in moist areas of eastern Australia.
The taxonomy of the Small Basswood has been reviewed. Resulting in the recognition of three sub species. Sub species sambucifolia, sub species decomposita and sub species leptophylla.[1]
The natural range of distribution is from Cape Otway in the state of Victoria to the McPherson Range, on the border of New South Wales and Queensland.
Common names for these plants include Small Basswood, Elderberry Panax, Ornamental Ash and Elderberry Ash.
Description
Often seen as a shrub on the edge of rainforests. However, it grows to 11 metres tall and a trunk diameter of 20 cm at Errinundra National Park and Otway National Park in the state of Victoria.
The trunk is straight. Bark is dark brown or black. Fairly smooth, marked by lenticles, pustules and lines.
Leaves
Leaf form varies between different sub forms of this plant. See Plant Net[2] for detailed descriptions between the sub species.
Leaves are pinnate or bipinnate, with up to six pairs of leaflets. Leaflets of sub species sambucifolia are toothed. The other types are entire. Leaflets 2 to 20 cm long, A terminal leaflet is seen on the end of the compound leaf in sub species sambucifolia.
Leaf stalks vary between 20 mm and no leaf stalk in sub species leptophylla. Leaf shape varies between ovate or elliptic to broad-elliptic in sub species sambucifolia. However the sessile leaflets of sub species leptophylla are oblong linear and somewhat curved (falcate) in shape. Leaf formation is two pinnate or rarely three pinnate in sub species decomposita.
Leaf veins evident on both the upper and lower surfaces. Sunken on the top of the leaf, raised below.
Flowers and Fruit
Yellow/green flowers form on panicles from December to February. The fruit is an edible globose cocci, 4 to 6 mm long. Mauve or blue in colour. Containing one or two seeds, 2 mm long. Fruit matures from January to April.
References
- Floyd, A.G., Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, Inkata Press 1989, ISBN 0-909605-57-2 page 75
- Polyscias sambucifolia at NSW Flora Online Retrieved on August 20th, 2009