Maniltoa lenticellata

Maniltoa lenticellata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Genus: Maniltoa
Species: M. lenticellata
Binomial name
Maniltoa lenticellata
(C. T. White)

Maniltoa lenticellata is a flowering tropical tree in the Fabaceae family. It is native to tropical semi-deciduous rainforest and gallery forests in northern Queensland, some of the Torres Strait Islands, and New Guinea. Common names include: Silk Handkerchief Tree, Cascading Bean, Native Handkerchief Tree.

Maniltoa lenticellata flower by Sandy Lloyd

Maniltoa lenticellata can grow up to 22 m (72 ft) tall but, more commonly, only reaches 10–12 m (33–39 ft). It has compound leaves with 2-4 pairs of leaflets. New leaves are folded inside dull red bracts and then released in a spectacular cascade of white foliage. The fruity-scented flowers which appear in north Queensland in September to October have 3 to 5 white-cream petals, and may be pollinated by marsupials or bats. They produce a brown pod 25–70 mm long by 18-50mm containing one brown seed in November to March. It is a favoured garden tree.[1][2]

"Maniltoa lenticellata var. villosa Verdc. from New Guinea differs from var. lenticellata in having ovaries with dense, persistent hairs." Quoted from:

Footnotes

  1. Endress and Steiner-Gafner (1996), p. 262.
  2. Beasley (2009), p. 111.

References


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