LEOPARDWOOD
Flindesia maculosa
Plant Family
Rutaceae
Alternative Common Names
Spotted tree, spotted dog, leopard tree.
Small to medium graceful tree to 12m tall, usually with a single erect trunk and a large spreading though open, pendulous crown, the bark of the trunk sheds in patches to give a mottled white, orange, and light-grey “leopard skin” appearance. Young plants have spiny, small branchlets and are slow growing.
Leaves - opposite or nearly so, narrow-elliptic to narrow-obovate, 3-7cm long, 1cm wide, the upper surface hairless and shiny dark-green, the lower surface dull and light-green.
Flowers - cream-coloured, about 7mm diameter, tubular, with 5 lobes, borne in loose terminal clusters.
Fruit - woody 5 celled capsule, 25mm long, covered with short hard protuberances, each cell splitting longitudinally and shedding several flat seeds which are winged at both ends.
Flowering late spring.
Habitat
Sandplains or sandy flats which flood; higher floodplains with calcareous or texture-contrast soils; sometimes on stoney hilly areas. The species is common in the St George district and scattered trees exist in the Tulloona area between Goondiwindi and Moree.
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