During our September outing to White Mountains National Park, a tall single-stemmed shrub caught our attention. It was an intriguing ‘new’ discovery for most of us, identified by the experts in our group as Astrotricha pterocarpa.
We were fortunate that on this occasion we found Astrotricha pterocarpa (Araliaceae) in “full bloom” (photo above) although we needed binoculars to inspect its huge inflorescence high above our heads.
The pale greenish-cream flowers of Astrotricha pterocarpa are covered in fine hairs. The flowers were evidently very attractive to a wide range of insects (photo above).
Astrotricha pterocarpa has large simple leaves (photo above) with a very elongated heart-shape. The leaves are arranged spirally around the upper part of the plant’s un-branching stem. The rest of the stem has conspicuous leaf scars where old leaves have been shed.
Astrotricha pterocarpa is endemic to tropical Queensland with its range extending from south of Pentland to north of Cooktown.
