Nothorites
{{short description|Monotypic genus of plants in the family Proteaceae}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2024}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Nothorites megacarpus ALA3.jpg
|image_caption = Inflorescence
|status = EN
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|status_ref = {{R|IUCN}}
|status2 = LC
|status2_system = QLDNCA
|status2_ref = {{R|DESQLD}}
|display_parents = 4
|genus = Nothorites
|parent_authority = {{small|P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast}}{{R|APNI1|POWO1}}
|species = megacarpus
|authority = {{au|(A.S.George & B.Hyland) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast}}{{R|APNI2|POWO2}}
|synonyms = Orites megacarpa {{au|A.S.George & B.Hyland}}
|synonyms_ref = {{R|POWO1}}
}}
Nothorites is a monotypic genus in the macadamia family Proteaceae. The sole species, Nothorites megacarpus, is endemic to the wet tropics rain forests of northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Description
Nothorites megacarpus is a tree growing up to {{cvt|25|m}} tall, with a light brown lenticellate bark.{{R|FOA}} The simple leaves have smooth margins and are arranged alternately on the twigs. They are dark glossy green and measure up to {{cvt|10|cm}} long by {{cvt|3|cm}} wide, and are held on a thickened petiole about {{cvt|1.2|cm|1}} long.{{R|FOA|RFK}}{{R|MAST}}{{rp|865}}{{R|COOPER2}}
The inflorescences are panicles produced either terminally or in the leaf axils. The cream coloured, pedicellate flowers are in pairs but do not share a peduncle. The perianth is about {{cvt|6|mm}} long and the entire flower is finely hairy.{{R|FOA|RFK}}{{R|MAST}}{{rp|865}}{{R|COOPER2}}
The fruit is a green or brown follicle which dehisces at maturity and contains 2 flat seeds, each with a narrow marginal wing. The fruit measure up to {{cvt|4|cm}} long by {{cvt|2|cm|1}} wide.{{R|FOA|RFK}}{{R|MAST}}{{rp|865}}{{R|COOPER2}}
=Phenology=
Flowering occurs from November to March, while fruit ripen from October to January.{{R|FOA|COOPER2}}
Taxonomy
The species was first formally described by the Australian botanists Alex George and Bernard Hyland, based on plant material collected from Mount Bartle Frere in 1986. They gave it the name Orites megacarpa and their work was published in 1995 in volume 16 of the book series Flora of Australia.{{R|FOA|APNI3}} Later, detailed genetic studies of the tribe Macadamieae conducted by Austin Mast and colleagues demonstrated that O. megacarpa was more closely related to the South American genus Panopsis than it was to the genus Orites,{{R|MAST}}{{rp|857}} resulting in the transfer of this species to the new genus Nothorites in 2008.{{R|MAST}}{{rp|843}}
=Etymology=
The genus name Nothorites is a combination of the Ancient Greek νόθος (nóthos), meaning bastard, illegitimate, or spurious; combined with the name of the genus that this plant was originally placed in, i.e. Orites. It points to the unsuitable taxonomic placement the plant was initially given.{{R|MAST}}{{rp|865}} The species epithet megacarpus comes from the prefix mega- (great, large) and the suffix -carp (fruit).{{R|COOPER2}}
Distribution and habitat
The range of this species is restricted to two small refugia, one in Mount Lewis National Park north of Cairns, and the other on Mount Bartle Frere south of Cairns. The habitat is microphyll vine forest on granitic soils, at altitudes above {{cvt|1000|m}}.{{R|FOA|RFK|AVH}} The species has a very small area of occupancy of just {{cvt|40|sqkm}}.{{R|IUCN}}{{efn|name=note1|For a definition of Area of Occupancy see [https://support.ala.org.au/support/solutions/articles/6000208436-area-of-occupancy-and-extent-of-occurrence this page] at the Atlas of Living Australia}}
Conservation
This species has been rated as least concern by Queensland's Department of Environment and Science, {{R|DESQLD}} however the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has given the species a classification of endangered. In their summary, the IUCN gives the reason for this assessment as declining habitat due to climate change, combined with a very small area of occupancy.{{R|IUCN}}
Gallery
File:Nothorites megacarpus ALA1.jpg|Close up of flowers
File:Nothorites megacarpus ALA2.jpg|Inflorescence
File:Nothorites megacarpus 260845949.jpg|Small tree
File:Nothorites megacarpus 260845958.jpg|Foliage
File:Nothorites megacarpus 260845963.jpg|
File:Nothorites megacarpus 260845980.jpg|Leaf venation
References
{{Reflist |27em |refs=
{{cite web |url=https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/details/?id=32250 |title=Species profile—Nothorites megacarpus |year=2022 |website=Queensland Department of Environment and Science |publisher=Queensland Government |access-date=5 January 2024}}
{{cite web |url=https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/213995 |title=Nothorites |website=Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) |publisher=Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government |access-date=5 January 2024}}
{{cite web |url=https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/213997 |title=Nothorites megacarpus |website=Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) |publisher=Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government |access-date=5 January 2024}}
{{cite web |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77095221-1 |title=Nothorites P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |year=2024 |access-date=5 January 2024}}
{{cite web |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77095223-1 |title=Nothorites megacarpus (A.S.George & B.Hyland) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |year=2024 |access-date=5 January 2024}}
{{Cite journal
|last1=Mast |first1=Austin R. |author-link=Austin Mast
|last2=Willis |first2=Crystal L.
|last3=Jones |first3=Eric H.
|last4=Downs |first4=Katherine M.
|last5=Weston |first5=Peter H.
|date=July 2008
|title=A smaller Macadamia from a more vagile tribe: inference of phylogenetic relationships, divergence times, and diaspore evolution in Macadamia and relatives (tribe Macadamieae; Proteaceae)
|journal=American Journal of Botany
|volume=95 |issue=7 |pages=843–870
|issn=1537-2197
|doi=10.3732/ajb.0700006
|pmid=21632410
}}
{{cite web |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Orites%20megacarpa |title=Orites megacarpa |last1=George |first1=A.S. |last2=Hyland |first2=B.P.M. |year=2022 |editor-last1= |editor-first1= |website=Flora of Australia |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra |access-date=5 January 2024}}
{{cite web |url=https://apps.lucidcentral.org/rainforest/text/entities/nothorites_megacarpus.htm |title=Nothorites megacarpus |author=F.A. Zich |author2=B.P.M Hyland |author3=T. Whiffen |author4=R.A. Kerrigan |website=Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, Edition 8 |year=2020 |publisher=Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) |access-date=4 March 2021}}
{{cite web |url=https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/138188 |title=Orites megacarpa |website=Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) |publisher=Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government |access-date=8 January 2024}}
{{cite web |title=Search: species: Orites megacarpa {{!}} Occurrence records |url=https://avh.ala.org.au/occurrences/search?taxa=Orites%20megacarpa#tab_mapView |website=Australasian Virtual Herbarium |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=8 January 2024}}
}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
External links
- [http://www.anbg.gov.au/photo/apii/name/Nothorites+megacarpus Photographs of Nothorites megacarpus at the Australian Plant Image Index]
{{Proteaceae genera}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q16986641|from2=Q18075531}}
Category:Monotypic Proteaceae genera
Category:Endemic flora of Queensland
Category:Proteales of Australia