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In 1992, Garry Sankowsky collected a 
sterile specimen of Cynometra at Mossman 
River. This specimen and further collections 
were later determined at QRS (now CNS) 
to be C. ramiflora, and as C. iripa by the 
Queensland Herbarium (BRI). Habitat as 
well as leaf, flower and fruit morphology 
indicated that these collections were distinct 
from C. ramiflora and C. iripa and required 
investigation. 
This morphological and ecological study 
confirms that three species of Cynometra 
occur in Australia: C. iripa , C.ramiflora and 
the newly described C. roseiflora known 
only from the Mossman River. Knaap-Van 
Meeuwen (1970: 13) stated that all Indo- 
Pacific species of Cynometra grow under 
ever-wet conditions; however, the three 
species that occur in Australia grow in 
tropical climates with a distinct dry season. 
C. iripa and C. ramiflora do occur in back 
mangal {sensu Tomlinson 1986) areas, but C. 
roseiflora occurs in rainforest with a distinct 
dry season on porous granitic soil. 
Materials and methods 
The study is based upon the examination of 
selected herbarium material from CNS, BRI, 
CANB and NSW (herbarium acronyms as 
per Index Herbariorum: A Global Directory 
of Public Herbaria and Associated Staff 
2015), combined with field observations of all 
species. All specimens cited have been seen 
by the author. 
Measurements of the floral parts and fruits 
are based on fresh material as well as material 
preserved in 70% ethanol. 
Taxonomy 
Cynometra L., Sp. PI. 1: 382 (1753) & Gen. 
PI, 5 th edn. 466 (1754). Type species: C. 
cauliflora L. 
Austrobaileya 9 ( 3 ): 393-403 ( 2015 ) 
Cynometra in Australia: Monoecious shrubs 
or trees to 15 m tall, can be multistemmed 
or buttressed. Bark finely fissured, lenticels 
linear or round; stipules caducous and leaving 
no visible scar; bracts enclosing new leaves 
and inflorescences similar to the stipules, 
several overlap to create a cone-like structure, 
broadly reniform, semi-circular, broadly 
ovate, somewhat cupular or oblong-obovate, 
0.8-2.5 mm long, rust coloured, minute hairs 
on dorsal surface, margin ciliate, caducous. 
Leaves coriaceous, alternate, 1-2-jugate, 
discolorous, new leaves green, pink or 
bright red; petiole + rachis chanelled on the 
upperside; petiolules thickened, wrinkled, 
mostly enclosed by leaflet base; leaflets 
opposite, asymmetrical, basal pair (if present) 
are smaller than terminal pair; base oblique; 
margin entire; venation brochidodromous. 
Inflorescences axillary, terminal or 
ramiflorous, racemes on a swelling; bracteoles 
1 or 2 towards pedicel base, filiform or strap¬ 
shaped, 1.5-3.5 mm long, caducous. Flowers 
bisexual; hypanthium inverted cone-shaped; 
sepals 4, imbricate, unequal in width, margin 
ciliate at apex, somewhat ragged or entire, 
acute; petals 5, free, white or pink, margin 
entire or barely fimbriate at apex, caducous; 
disk absent; stamens 10; anthers orbicular- 
cordate, cleft at base, bilocular, introrse, 
medi-dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally; 
ovary asymmetrically elliptical, stipe short 
and inserted excentrically; ovules 1 (rarely 
2 or 3); style slender, almost directly in line 
with dorsal margin of ovary or excentric to 
varying degrees and becoming more excentric 
post anthesis; stigma capitate. Fruit an 
indehiscent woody nut, asymmetrical with a 
beak at apex of dorsal suture, rugose, scurfy; 
seeds 1 (rarely 2 or 3). Germination epigeal. 
Key to Cynometra species in Australia 
1 Petals bright pink, about half as long as sepals; ovary inner wall glabrous 
but for a tuft of hairs at base; new leaves bright red.3. C. roseiflora 
1. Petals white or very pale pink, about same length as sepals; ovary inner 
wall glabrous to generally hairy (not tufted at base); new leaves green or pink 
2 
