LIttle evodia

Description

Melicope rubra, commonly known as the little evodia, is a species of small tree in the family Rutaceae, and is endemic to north-east Queensland. It has trifoliate leaves and pink bisexual flowers arranged on branches below the leaves. Melicope rubra is a tree that typically grows to a height of 7 m (23 ft) with a trunk diameter of about 30 cm (12 in), but forms flowers and fruit as a shrub. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs and are trifoliate on a petiole 20–75 mm (0.79–2.95 in) long. The leaflets are egg-shaped, 40–150 mm (1.6–5.9 in) long and 15–45 mm (0.59–1.77 in) wide, the leaflets sessile or on a petiolule up to 10 mm (0.39 in) long. The flowers are bisexual and arranged in panicles 25–65 mm (0.98–2.56 in) long on branches below the leaves. The sepals are more or less round to egg-shaped, 1.5–2.5 mm (0.059–0.098 in) long and joined at the base. The petals are pink, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and there are four stamens. Flowering occurs from February to June and the fruit consists of up to four follicles 20–30 mm (0.79–1.18 in) long and fused for at least half their length. Melicope rubra grows in forests including rainforest forest from sea level to an altitude of 850 m (2,790 ft). It is found between Shiptons Flat and Cardwell in north-eastern Queensland. Melicope is a genus of about 240 species of shrubs and trees in the family Rutaceae, occurring from the Hawaiian Islands across the Pacific Ocean to tropical Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Plants in the genus Melicope have simple or trifoliate leaves arranged in opposite pairs, flowers arranged in panicles, with four sepals, four petals and four or eight stamens and fruit composed of up to four follicles. Plants in the genus Melicope have simple or trifoliate leaves arranged in opposite pairs, or sometimes whorled. The flowers are arranged in panicles and are bisexual or sometimes with functionally male- or female-only flowers. The flowers have four sepals, four petals and four or eight stamens. There are four, sometimes five, carpels fused at the base with fused styles, the stigma similar to the tip of the style. The fruit is composed of up to four follicles fused at the base, each with one or two seeds.