Polyosma hirsuta, commonly known as hairy polyosma, is a plant in the family Escalloniaceae which is endemic to northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is an evergreen small tree growing up to high. The leaves may be long and wide, often with toothed margins and each tooth exhibiting a short stiff spine. Most parts of the plant, including the twigs, leaves and fruit, are clothed in fine pale brown hairs.
The inflorescence is a raceme (an unbranched spike) produced in the leaf axils or at the ends of branches. The cream-coloured flowers are tubular, about long by wide. The fruit is a rounded or ovoid, dark purple or black berry containing a single seed. The fruit measures about and the seed about .
Taxonomy
The hairy polyosma was first described in 1918 by the Australian botanist Cyril Tenison White, based on material collected by the Reverend Norman Michael, an enthusiastic collector of botanic specimens in Queensland. Michael found the plant in the vicintiy of the Johnstone River. White's description was published in Botany Bulletin, a publication of the then Queensland Department of Agriculture.
Etymology
The genus name Polyosma is compounded from the Ancient Greek word poly meaning "many", and the Latin word osma, meaning "odour" or "smell". The species epithet hirsuta is from the Latin hirsutus meaning "hairy".
Distribution and habitat
Polyosma hirsuta is restricted to a small part of northeastern Queensland, on the coast and adjacent highlands from near Cooktown in the north to about Tully in the south. It grows as an understory tree in rainforest, at altitudes from near sea level to around .
Conservation
This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern. , it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Gallery
References
External links
View a map of historical sightings of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium View observations of this species on iNaturalist View images of this species on Flickriver