Was pleased to stumble upon a well establish cultivated specimen (over 2m tall) of this very attractive tree just north of Cairns. The leaves have a slightly fuzzy look to it and on the underside, the midrib clearly has a layer of brownish hairs. It is a relative of the commonly planted Golden Penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus). I noticed that the shoots bearing flowers tend to have smaller leaves.
I would love to see this species in its native habitat, which according to the Rainforest key would be in ‘scrubby vegetation in crevices and gorges in sandstone’. More on that when that happens.
Dehiscent fruits
Leaf underside
‘Studio’ photograph of flowers
Leaf Whispering in the Tropics 