Opisthiolepis

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Ordo: Proteales

Familia: Proteaceae
Subfamilia: Grevilleoideae
Tribus: Roupaleae
Subtribus: Roupalinae
Genus: Neorites
Species: N. kevedianus
Name

Neorites L.S. Sm. Contr. Queensland Herb. 6: 15. (1969)
References

Smith, L.S. (1969) Contributions from the Queensland Herbarium 6: 15.
International Plant Names Index. 2015. Neorites. Published online. Accessed: Mar. 2 2015.
The Plant List 2013. Neorites in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2015 Mar. 2.

Neorites is a genus of a sole described species of tall tree in the family Proteaceae.[1] The species Neorites kevedianus, commonly called fishtail oak or fishtail silky oak, is endemic to the wet tropics rainforests of north eastern Queensland, Australia.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Queensland botanist Lindsay Smith named the species in 1969, from a collection from forestry land near Kuranda in 1955 by Queensland forestry officers Kevin J. White and H. Edgar Volck. Smith coined the species names from the first names of the finders.[4]

Peter H. Weston and Nigel Barker refined the classification of the Proteaceae in 2006, incorporating molecular data. Here, Neorites emerged as closely related to the genera Orites and Roupala. They thus placed the three genera in the subtribe Roupalinae, conceding that the next closest relatives of this group is unclear. This group lies within the subfamily Grevilleoideae.[5] Clock dating with molecular and fossil data indicated ancestors of Neorites and the South American genus Roupala may have diverged in the mid-Oligocene around 30 million years ago, and that this lineage in turn separated from the ancestors of Orites in the late Eocene around 36 million years ago.[6]

Common names for Neorites kevedianus include fishtail silky, fishtail oak, or fishtail silky oak.[3]

A compound-leaved fossil species has been recovered from the middle Eocene Golden Grove site in Adelaide that closely resembles Neorites kevedianus. Although abundant at this site, it has not been recovered elsewhere.[7]
Description

Neorites kevedianus grows as a tree to 15–30 m (49–98 ft) high.[2] The new growth is covered in brownish fur.[3]
Distribution and habitat

Neorites kevedianus is native to north Queensland, where it is found in rainforest on volcanic soils at altitudes from 150 to 1150 m above sea level.[2]
References

"Neorites". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
"Neorites kevediana". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
F.A. Zich; B.P.M Hyland; T. Whiffen; R.A. Kerrigan (2020). "Neorites kevedianus". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, Edition 8. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Retrieved 15 March 2021.
Wrigley, John; Fagg, Murray (1991). Banksias, Waratahs and Grevilleas. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. pp. 463–64. ISBN 0-207-17277-3.
Weston, Peter H.; Barker, Nigel P. (2006). "A new suprageneric classification of the Proteaceae, with an annotated checklist of genera" (PDF). Telopea. 11 (3): 314–344. doi:10.7751/telopea20065733.
Sauquet, Herve; Weston, Peter H.; Anderson, Cajsa Lisa; Barker, Nigel P.; Cantrill, David J.; Mast, Austin R.; Savolainen, Vincent (2009). "Contrasted patterns of hyperdiversification in Mediterranean hotspots". PNAS. 106 (1): 221–25. Bibcode:2009PNAS..106..221S. doi:10.1073/pnas.0805607106. PMC 2629191. PMID 19116275.
Hill, Robert S. (1994). History of the Australian Vegetation: Cretaceous to Recent. Cambridge University Press. p. 269. ISBN 0-521-40197-6.Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Ordo: Proteales

Familia: Proteaceae
Subfamilia: Grevilleoideae
Tribus: Embothrieae
Subtribus: Hakeinae
Genus: Opisthiolepis
Species (1): O. heterophylla
Name

Opisthiolepis L.S.Sm.

Opisthiolepis is a genus of a sole described species of large trees, constituting part of the plant family Proteaceae.[1] The species Opisthiolepis heterophylla most commonly has the names of blush silky oak, pink silky oak, brown silky oak and drunk rabbit.[1][2]

These large trees, up to 30 m (100 ft) tall, are endemic to the rainforests of the wet tropics region of north eastern Queensland, Australia. While restricted to this region, within their range they occur widely in rainforests, more common in the tablelands and mountains and described as common on the Atherton Tableland.[1][2]

Taxonomy and naming

Queensland botanist Lindsay Smith named the species in 1952, from a collection from the Atherton area in the Cook District.[1][2] Material had been collected earlier by C.T. White in 1918, but lacked flowers or fruit.[3]

They are reported to share their evolutionary closest correlates with the genera Buckinghamia, Finschia, Grevillea and Hakea in the subtribe Hakeinae.[4][5][6] The genetics studies, still at an early stage, suggest Opisthiolepis may represent the continuing living lineage of the ancient branch off from near the base or from before the base of the entire present day subtribe Hakeinae.[4][6][7]
Description

Opisthiolepis heterophylla grows as a tree to 30 m (98 ft) tall with a trunk diameter of 75 cm (29.5 in).[3] Oval or oblong in shape,[1] the adult leaves are anywhere from 2 to 23 cm long by 2 to 9 cm wide. They have bronze undersurfaces.[2] The flower spikes, known as inflorescences, are racemes 3 to 15 cm (1 to 6 in) long, bearing small white flowers.[1][8]
Distribution and habitat

Found from sea level to 1150 m, Opisthiolepis heterophylla is endemic to northeastern Queensland. It generally grows on basalt soils on slopes and elevated areas,[2] in rainforest.[1]
Cultivation

Opisthiolepis heterophylla grows quickly in cultivation, one specimen in John Wrigley's garden in Coffs Harbour reaching 6 m (20 ft) high and flowering in four years.[3]
References

Foreman, Don B. (1995). "Opisthiolepis". In McCarthy, Patrick (ed.). Flora of Australia: Volume 16: Eleagnaceae, Proteaceae 1 (online version). Flora of Australia series. CSIRO Publishing / Australian Biological Resources Study. pp. 373–374, Figs 131, 168, Map 423. ISBN 978-0-643-05692-3.
F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Opisthiolepis heterophylla". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
Wrigley, John; Fagg, Murray (1991). Banksias, Waratahs and Grevilleas. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. pp. 465–66. ISBN 0-207-17277-3.
Weston, Peter H.; Barker, Nigel P. (2006). "A new suprageneric classification of the Proteaceae, with an annotated checklist of genera" (PDF). Telopea. 11 (3): 314–344. doi:10.7751/telopea20065733. Retrieved 4 Apr 2013.
Sauquet, Hervé; Weston, Peter H.; et al. (6 Jan 2009). "Contrasted patterns of hyperdiversification in Mediterranean hotspots". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (1): 221–225. Bibcode:2009PNAS..106..221S. doi:10.1073/pnas.0805607106. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 2629191. PMID 19116275.
Mast, Austin R.; Milton, Ethan F.; et al. (1 Mar 2012). "Time-calibrated phylogeny of the woody Australian genus Hakea (Proteaceae) supports multiple origins of insect-pollination among bird-pollinated ancestors". American Journal of Botany. 99 (3): 472–487. doi:10.3732/ajb.1100420. PMID 22378833. Retrieved 4 Apr 2013.
Duchene, David; Bromham, Lindell (13 Mar 2013). "Rates of molecular evolution and diversification in plants: chloroplast substitution rates correlate with species-richness in the Proteaceae". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 13: 65. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-13-65. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 3600047. PMID 23497266.
Opisthiolepis heterophylla