Xanthophyllum fragrans (Polygalaceae)

This marvelous tree is an endemic of the Daintree region, although a good sized tree can easily be seen at the Cairns Botanical Gardens.

For a member of the Polygalaceae, this tree has pretty large flowers. And they are beautifully fragrant, as the name suggests. It is also commonly known as Fragrant Boxwood.

The leaves are simple, alternate, has no stipules, hairless on both sides, and have a lanceolate shape with smooth margins. A good spot feature is the pair of glands near the leaf base that is visible on the leaf underside. Also, the leaf petioles seem rather thickened.

About David Tng

I am David Tng, a hedonistic botanizer who pursues plants with a fervour. I chase the opportunity to delve into various aspects of the study of plants. I have spent untold hours staring at mosses and allied plants, taking picture of pollen, culturing orchids in clean cabinets, counting tree rings, monitoring plant flowering times, etc. I am currently engrossed in the study of plant ecology (a grand excuse to see 'anything I can). Sometimes I think of myself as a shadow taxonomist, a sentimental ecologist, and a spiritual environmentalist - but at the very root of it all, a "plant whisperer"!
This entry was posted in Endemics, Habitat - Rain forest, Lifeform - Trees & Shrubs, Polygalaceae (Milkwort family) and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

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