Harden and Williams, Davidsonia (Cunoniaceae) 
417 
Fruit obovoid or ellipsoid, laterally compressed, 38-55 mm long, 32-53 mm wide, 
35-46 mm deep; blue-black, glaucous, indumentum sparse at maturity (hairs visible 
with hand-lens); mesocarp dark red; pyrenes usually 2, strongly laterally compressed, 
3.0-6.0 mm long, fimbriate with radiating soft fibres attached to the pyrene body; 
pyrene body 1.5-2.3 cm long, 1.5-2.1 cm wide, crest 5.0-10.0 mm long; seed ovate to 
broad-ovate, 1.7-1.8 cm long, 1.2-1.4 cm wide, 3-4 mm deep. (Fig. 1). 
Habitat and distribution: widespread in tropical rainforest in north-eastern 
Queensland, chiefly from Cardwell area to Cooktown and inland to near Atherton 
(Fig. 2). It grows from near sea level to altitudes of over 1000 m. Bange (1952) 
erroneously cited this taxon as occurring in New South Wales. This taxon has been 
collected in Fiji (Batiki, Naduruloulou) in 1949 by B. Parham (Parham 1972:125) where 
it was cultivated at the Agricultural Experimental Garden (Bange 1952). 
Phenology: chiefly flowers February to July, but recorded most months; with fruit ripe 
mostly March to June, but recorded throughout the year. 
Conservation status: due to its widespread distribution it is not considered to be 
under threat; it is known to occur in a number of conservation areas, e.g. Lake Eacham 
National Park, Bellenden Ker National Park (now part of Wooroonooran National Park). 
Discussion: this species is widely cultivated as an ornamental tree and for its edible 
fruits. As early as the 19th century (Bailey 1895,1898) this species was recommended 
for cultivation because of its edible fruits. 
Discussion of lectotype: the lectotype was designated by Bange (1952: 296) as 
Murray's River, Rockingham Bay: Dallachy, 12 Aug 1866, a MEL collection with flowers 
and fruit. There is no specimen at MEL that matches the original citation of Mueller; 
however, there are nine sheets at MEL in type folders collected by Dallachy at 
Rockingham Bay in 1866. Of these nine sheets only one has been annotated by Bange 
(MEL 106575); this sheet has the upper portion of a leaf and fruit with a National 
Herbarium of Victoria label, annotated 'Fragment of Type' with notes of Dallachy's 
copied from MEL 106543. This sheet also has the following note: 'Dallachy made more 
than one collection of this species, as these five sheets of types housed here include 
flowers, fruits & foliage all with similar labels'. This label was not an original label and 
the notes appear to have been copied in recent years (perhaps before the specimen 
was seen by Bange in 1952). It also has a small label by Mueller with the name 
Davidsonia pruriens. 
The specimen (MEL 106543) which has the original of the notes on the habit of the 
plant by Dallachy, including the date of 12 August 1866, also has a Phytologic Museum 
of Melbourne label in Mueller's hand with 'Davidsonia pruriens Ferd. von Mueller, 
Murray's River at Rockinghams Bay, Dali.'; the sheet has more recently been labelled 
'Sheet 1 of 2'; this specimen is of the lower part of a leaf. Sheet 2 of 2 (MEL 106542) 
has the upper part of a leaf and a Botanical Museum of Melbourne label in 
Mueller's hand. 
It is apparent that the specimens that were cited by Bange in 1952 have since been 
remounted and possibly rearranged so that the specimen designated as the lectotype 
(flowers and fruit) can no longer be identified as the one nominated by Bange. MEL 
106546 is the only specimen that has an inflorescence and fruit and a label 'Davidsonia 
pruriens' in Mueller's writing and a later National Herbarium of Victoria label with the 
species name, locality as 'Rockingham Bay, Q'land', collector as J. Dallachy and date as 
'71866'. We choose not to nominate this specimen as the lectotype; instead we choose 
