508 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XIX, October 1965 
INDIGENOUS RANGE: Tropical rainforests of 
Australia on the eastern slope of the Great Di- 
viding Range, extending from the Pine River 
northwest of Brisbane in the Moreton Bay Dis- 
trict of Queensland northward to Kin Kin in 
the Gympie District, a distance of about 130 
miles; latitudinal range, about 27°30'-26° S. 
I saw trees in their native habitat in the Black- 
all Range near Maleny and in the vicinity of 
the near-coastal village of Eumundi. 
Trees of this species are small in comparison 
with the other two, seldom attaining heights 
and spreads exceeding 15 ft. They have a tend- 
ency to develop multiple trunks. As noted by 
Smith (1956:39) "the species is quite distinc- 
tive in the field with its smaller leaves, which are 
reddish on the young shoots, more slender and 
dark branchlets, pinkish flowers and smaller 
fruits." The flowers are borne in short sub- 
terminal axillary racemes on mature terminal 
TABLE 1 
Principal Taxonomic Characters of M. ternifolia, M. integrifolia, 
and M. tetraphylla 
CHARACTER 
M. ternifolia 
M. integrifolia 
M, tetraphylla 
Phyllotaxy 
basically, 3 leaves in a 
nodal whorl; young 
seedlings may have 
only 2; occasional 
branches have 3 or 5 
basically, 3 leaves in a 
nodal whorl; young seed- 
lings usually have only 2; 
occasional branches have 
4 
basically, 4 leaves in a 
nodal whorl; young seed- 
lings usually have only 2; 
occasional branches have 
3 or 5 
Leaf 
attachment 
petiolate 
petiolate 
sessile or scarcely 
subsessile 
Adult 
leaf shape 
lanceolate 
oblanceolate to obovate 
oblanceolate 
Adult 
leaf margin 
scarcely serrate, with 
8-10 teeth on side 
generally entire; 
sometimes with 1-12 
teeth on a side 
numerous serrations, rang- 
ing from 1 5—40 on a side; 
occasional leaves have 
fewer than 1 5 
Color of 
new growth 
pink to red 
pale green; occasional 
individuals with bronze 
tinging 
pink to red; occasional 
individuals yellowish- 
green, due to lack of 
anthocyanin 
Flower color 
pink 
white 
pink; white or cream 
colored in individuals 
lacking anthocyanin 
Racemes 
2—5 inches long, with 
50-100 flowers 
4—12 inches long, with 
100-300 flowers 
6-18 inches long, with 
100-300 flowers 
Pericarp 
grayish-green in appear- 
ance due to dense 
white pubescence; 
dehisces fully on tree 
before fruit drops 
bright clear green, due 
to nearly glabrous con- 
dition; often fails to 
dehisce when fruit is 
still on tree 
grayish-green in appear- 
ance, due to fairly dense 
white pubescence; dehisces 
fully on tree before fruit 
drops 
Seed size 
transverse diameter 
Vs~Va inch 
transverse diameter 
Vi—^Va inches 
transverse diameter 
V 2 -IV 2 inches 
Seed shape 
commonly fusiform 
to nearly spherical 
commonly spherical 
commonly fusiform, some 
nearly spherical 
Seed surface 
smooth to scarcely 
pebbled 
generally smooth; rarely 
with slight pebbling 
generally pebbled; 
infrequently smooth 
or nearly so 
Kernel 
bitter; unpalatable 
sweet; highly palatable 
sweet; highly palatable 
