Backhousia tetraptera
{{Short description|Species of plant in the family Myrtaceae}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2024}}
{{speciesbox
| image = Backhousia_tetraptera_new_growth.jpg
| image_caption =
| status = CR
| status_system = EPBC
| status_ref = {{SPRAT|91337|Backhousia tetraptera}}
| genus = Backhousia
| species = tetraptera
| authority = Jackes
}}
Backhousia tetraptera is a tree in the family Myrtaceae. The only known population occurs at the foot of Mount Stuart near Townsville in Queensland, Australia.{{cite web | url= http://sgaptownsville.org.au/Backhousia-tetraptera.html | date= 2012 | title= Backhousia tetraptera | work= The Society for Growing Australian Plants Townsville Branch Inc. | access-date= 29 June 2014 }}
The species grows to between 5 and 12 metres high often with multiple trunks that have a mottled flaking bark including grey, grey-brown and/or pink colouration. The leaves are simple and opposite and are 5.5 to 9 cm long and 1.5 to 3.8 cm wide. The white flowers appear in clusters of 10 and have 56 to 65 stamens.
Flowering is induced by the first significant rainfall of the wet season, appearing four weeks later. The distinctive fruits are capsules with four wings that appear in clusters and fade from pink to white and dry to brown.
The species was formally described in 2012.{{APNI|name=Backhousia tetraptera Jackes|id=307644 }}{{cite journal | last1= Harrington | first1= Mark G. | last2= Jackes | first2= Betsy R. | last3= Barrett | first3= M. D. | last4= Craven | first4= Lyndley A. | last5= Barrett | first5= Russell L. | display-authors=3 | year= 2012 | title= Phylogenetic revision of Backhousieae (Myrtaceae): Neogene divergence, a revised circumscription of Backhousia and two new species | journal= Australian Systematic Botany | volume= 25 | issue= 6 | pages= 409–414 | url= http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/SB12015.htm | access-date= 29 June 2014 | doi=10.1071/sb12015| s2cid= 56067440 }} {{As of|2024|09}} it was designated critically endangered under the EPBC Act.