Bailey's bitterwood (Quassia baileyana)

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Quassia baileyana: Queensland Rainforest Shrub Profile

Deep within the pristine rainforests of northern Queensland, Quassia baileyana thrives as a specialized evergreen species under the dense forest canopy. This plant adapted to high-humidity environments and nutrient-rich volcanic soils typical of the region.

The species represents an important component of the local Australian rainforest flora. It remains primarily in wild, undisturbed habitats where it coexists with diverse tropical vegetation.

Taxonomy

  • ∟ царство Plantae
  • ∟ division Tracheophytes
  • ∟ subdivision Spermatophytes (Seed plants)
  • ∟ Angiosperms
  • ∟ mesangiosperms
  • ∟ eudicots
  • ∟ Superrosids
  • ∟ rosids
  • ∟ malvids
  • ∟ order Sapindales
  • ∟ family Simaroubaceae (Quassia family)
  • ∟ genus Quassia (Quassia Wood)
  • ∟ species Quassia baileyana (Bailey's bitterwood)

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Morphology

The plant grows as a slender shrub or small understory tree, featuring smooth, greyish-brown bark. The leaves are alternate, simple, and lanceolate, possessing a glossy green upper surface and a pale underside.

Small, inconspicuous flowers are arranged in axillary or terminal inflorescences, displaying pale petals. The resulting small fruits are drupaceous, housing a single seed that is adapted to forest floor germination.

Applications

While not widely used in modern commercial forestry, the plant contains bitter chemical constituents common to the Simaroubaceae family. Researchers study these compounds to understand the evolutionary chemical defenses of Australian rainforest plants.

Interesting facts

  • This species is endemic to Australia, meaning it is found nowhere else on Earth in its natural state.
  • It occupies a very narrow ecological niche in the wet tropics of Queensland.

Geography of distribution

  • Australia

Sources

  • POWO (Plants of the World Online) - Distribution database.
  • WFO (World Flora Online) - Nomenclature and classification.
  • GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) - Specimen collection records in Australia.

Technical Information

Taxon Synonyms: Samadera baileyana

External Databases: GBIF, POWO, Tropicos

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