Flindersia

Voucher:    Flindersia maculosa (Lindl.)Benth.  JAB155

Family:  Rutaceae  Common name(s): Leopardwood, Leopard Tree

Habit:  Tree to 12 m tall.  Distribution: Northern New South Wales and southern to central Queensland.

General features: Density 1000-1100 kg/m3 .  Pale wood with heartwood indistinct from sapwood.    

Microscopic features:

Vessels  Tangential vessel diameter: range 20-64 µm; mean 38 µm; SD 13 µm; average maximum 48-60 µm; n =  105 vessels.  Vessels per square millimetre: range 55-98 vessels per mm2;  n =  2 sampled areas.  Vessels arranged in chains of radial multiples usually less than 4.  Perforation plates simple without prominent rim. 

Axial parenchyma   Axial parenchyma paratracheal and scanty to vasicentric.  Marginal bands present. 

Rays  Rays 2-7 with uniseriate rays absent (n = 63 rays).  Rays of uniform width and not wider than vessels.  Rays 7-10 per tangential mm (n =   6 sampled areas).  Ray height: range 89-431 µm; mean 225 µm; SD 98 µm; n =   43 rays.   Rays homocellular.  

Helical thickenings  Possibly present.

Physical and chemical tests:   Chrome azurol-s test negative.   Pith fluoresces orange but otherwise fluorescence is absent.    Froth test weakly positive to negative.   Ethanol extract fluorescence absent.  Ethanol extract colourless.  Water extract colourless. Water extract fluorescence absent.

Uses:

European  Shingles; staves of tallow casks; pick handles; poles and shafts of drays, buggies; fencing (Maiden 1889)