Harden and Williams, Davidsonia (Cunoniaceae) 
415 
pinnate with an increasing number of pinnae (3-7), rachis becoming winged. 
Adult leaves alternate, imparipinnate, petiolate; rachis winged with the wing or wing¬ 
like segments dentate; stipules paired, amplexicaul, semi-circular; pinnae sessile or 
shortly stalked, narrow-obovate to narrow-ovate in general outline; terminal pinna 
usually the largest, with pinnae pairs progressively smaller towards base of leaf; 
petiolulate or sessile; stipellae usually present at base of pinnae. Inflorescences 
cauliflorous, ramiflorous or subterminal and borne amongst the leaves, paniculate and 
open or congested and spike-like. Floivers bisexual, 4- or 5-merous; sepals 4 or 5, 
petaloid, pink or red, connate in the basal half, valvate in bud; petals absent; stamens 
usually 8 or 10, exserted beyond the sepals, alternating with an equal number of 
nectaries; carpels 2 or rarely 3, ovary bilocular or rarely trilocular, ovules 5-7 in each 
loculus, styles 2 or rarely 3; ovules anatropous; in one species (D. johnsonii) the flowers 
are often sterile, with styles reduced or absent and anthers without pollen. Fruit a 
drupe, mesocarp fleshy; pyrenes 2 or rarely 3, compressed, pyrene wall cartilaginous 
to semi-woody; body of pyrene with soft fibres extending radially from margins, 
dorsally keeled and terminally crested; seed solitary or absent, glossy dark reddish 
brown to black, strongly compressed, plano-convex, glabrous, broad-ovate to circular, 
apex obtuse with a prominent short point at radicle end; endosperm absent. 
The pyrenes lie separately in the fleshy mesocarp and have sometimes been 
misinterpreted as seeds (e.g. Bailey 1898, Elliott & Jones 1984). 
Three types of trichomes are present: (1) glandular trichomes, multicellular and 
multiseriate, capitate, red-tipped, often terminating teeth on bracts, rachis wings, 
margins of stipules and pinnae; (2) bristly trichomes (surfaces hirsute, only in 
D. pruriens and D. jerseyana) fawn to yellowish or pinkish on young growth, irritant, 
often on leaves, stems, rachises, outer surface of sepals and on fruit; (3) short soft hairs 
(surfaces softly pubescent) as on the inner surface of sepals (and outer surface in 
D. johnsonii). 
Key to the species 
1 Leaflets, rachis, branchlets, inflorescence axes and outer surface of sepals hirsute, at 
least when young, with long irritant bristly hairs (usually moderately to strongly 
persistent); most adult leaves more than 35 cm long; pinnae (7—)9—19, the three 
largest pinnae (terminal and subterminal) 20-40 cm long; margins of pinnae 
secondarily serrate; inflorescences cauliflorous or ramiflorous, usually borne on the 
main trunks or sometimes among the leaves; styles 2 or rarely 3, conspicuous, 
curved, exceeding the stamens; fruit pyriform to obovoid or ellipsoid, with length 
greater than or equal to its diameter. 
2 Inflorescences open, paniculate, usually more than 30 cm long; anthers oblong at 
anthesis, 1.8-3.0 mm long; pyrenes (when fertile, i.e. containing a seed) 2.0-2.7 cm 
long, 2.5-2.9 cm wide with a prominent dorsal crest 3.0-6.0 mm long; adult 
leaves usually 60-120 cm long, rachis scarcely winged; upper lateral pinnae 
mostly lanceolate to oblong, with 15-27 pairs of secondary veins. 
. 1. Davidsonia pruriens 
2* Inflorescences condensed, racemose or spike-like, mostly less than 25 cm long; 
anthers ellipsoid at anthesis, 1.1-1.7 mm long; pyrenes (when fertile) 2.0-2.2 cm 
long, 1.6-1.7 cm wide, with an inconspicuous crest 2.0-2.3 mm long; adult leaves 
usually 35-60 cm long, rachis usually prominently winged; upper lateral pinnae 
mostly oblanceolate, with 11-17 pairs of secondary veins. 
... 2. Davidsonia jerseyana 
