Steganthera laxiflora, commonly known as tetra beech, is a species of plant in the family Monimiaceae. It is native to eastern tropical Queensland, Australia.
Description Steganthera laxiflora is a tree that can grow up to tall. Leaves are arranged in opposite pairs on the twigs and are finely hairy on both sides. They measure up to long and wide, and are generally elliptic to oblong-elliptic.
This species is monoecious, meaning that flowers are either male or female, and both types are present on each plant. Male inflorescences grow up to long with between 5 and 60 globular flowers, each about wide; female inflorescences are similar.
The fruit is a black ellipsoid drupe up to long and wide containing a single seed.
Taxonomy The species was first described by George Bentham as Kibara laxiflora. It was transferred to its current name in Flora of Australia in 2007.
Two subspecies are recognised, Steganthera laxiflora subsp. lewisensis and the autonym Steganthera laxiflora subsp. laxiflora.
Conservation , this species has been assessed to be of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and by the Queensland Government under its Nature Conservation Act.
Ecology The fruit are eaten by fruit doves, including the wompoo fruit dove and superb fruit dove, and by cassowaries.
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References
External links
Map of herbarium collections of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium Observations of this species on iNaturalist Images of this species on Flickriver.com