About Zieria arborescens Sims
Zieria arborescens Sims is a robust shrub or small tree that reaches a height of 5 to 10 meters (20 to 30 feet). Its branches are ridged in areas where older leaves have fallen, and are usually scaly or hairy, at least when young. Leaves of this species are made up of three leaflets. Leaflets vary in size and shape, but are mostly lance-shaped or oblong, 50 to 90 millimeters (2 to 4 inches) long, 6 to 15 millimeters (0.2 to 0.6 inches) wide, attached to a stalk 15 to 30 millimeters (0.6 to 1 inch) long. Leaf edges are more or less rolled downwards; the upper leaf surface is dark green and glabrous, while the lower surface is hairy and pale. Both leaf surfaces are dotted with oil glands. The flowers are white or pale pink, arranged in large clusters in upper leaf axils, and the clusters are usually shorter than the leaves. This species has four more or less hairy, triangular sepal lobes about 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters (0.06 to 0.1 inches) long. The four petals are 3 to 6.5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.3 inches) long and slightly hairy. Like other zierias, Zieria arborescens has only four stamens. Flowering takes place from September to November, and is followed by a seed capsule that holds seeds with an ant-attracting elaiosome. Common name tree zieria, this species occurs in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, where it grows in wet forest and at rainforest margins. The subspecies glabrifolia is only found on the New England Tablelands, between Girraween National Park in Queensland and Torrington in New South Wales. Subspecies decurrens has only been recorded near Jervis Bay, where it grows in drier eucalyptus woodland areas; it is characterized by ridged, non-warty branches and a greater number of hairs on young branchlets.
