Alphitonia oblata A.R.Bean

Tree or shrub (occasionally) (3–) 6–15 (–30) m high. Bark smooth, dappled, blotchy, white and grey. Crown with numerous spreading, horizontal branches. Branchlets ridged near growing point. Stipules linear to narrowly triangular, (1.5–) 2–6 (–8.5) mm long. Juvenile stem indumentum moderate to dense, with small white crisped hairs 0.1–0.2 mm high, and ± straight, patent or antrorse, pale brown or rusty hairs to 1.0 mm long. Juvenile leaves narrowly ovate to ovate, to c. 20 cm long. Adult stem indumentum sparse to dense, hairs all crisped (no straight hairs), pale brown to creamy-white, 0.1–0.2 mm high. Leaves 2-ranked; lamina narrowly ovate, narrowly oblong or oblanceolate (± parallel-sided), (7.5–) 12.8–19 (–20) cm long, (2.8–) 4.5–7 (–8) cm wide (L/B ratio 2.4–3.4), base frequently obtuse, sometimes cuneate or rarely cordate, symmetrical or rarely oblique, apex shortly acuminate, often with short mucro, sometimes acute; upper leaf surface dark green, glossy, glabrous except when very young, when numerous brown tortuous hairs cover the surface; lower leaf surface with abundant tiny white crisped hairs in the areoles, obscuring the lamina, and brown tortuous hairs to 0.5 mm long along the veins and veinlets; newly expanding leaves pale to mid-brown; petiole 1.0–1.8 (–2) cm long, with hairs c. 0.2 mm long. Cymes occurring in up to 9 leaf axils per branchlet, (5–) 6–12 cm long, 2–5 cm wide, with > 50 flowers, none truly terminal. Pedicels 2.0–4.5 mm long at anthesis. Flowers 4.5–6.2 mm across, covered in greyish to rusty crisped hairs; sepals deltate, 1.5–2.0 mm long, 1.3–1.6 mm wide at base, spreading to recurved, glabrous internally; petals white, 1.1–1.8 mm long, not clawed; filaments 1.2–1.8 mm long, anthers 0.3–0.5 mm long, tail 0.1–0.2 mm long. Disc pentagonal, grey, covered by minute papillae, radial furrows present, 10; inner half of disc with dense erect brown hairs overlying tiny white crisped hairs. Style consistently 3-fid, 1.0–1.3 mm long after elongation. Fruiting pedicels 3–4 mm long, 0.7–0.8 mm diam. Mature fruits black, somewhat glossy, glabrous, oblate, 3-locular, (8–) 9–11 (–12) mm long, 13–15 mm diam., soon disintegrating; calyx scar close to pedicel end; powdery mesocarp abundant. Endocarpids (when opened) 6.5– 8 mm long (excluding apiculum), 6.5–7.5 mm wide, radius 3.5–4 mm, apiculum 1–2 mm long, terminal. Aril maroon; seed grey to black, 4–5 mm long.

Inhabits rainforest edges or canopy breaks where annual rainfall exceeds around 1500 mm, although it may occur in sheltered gorges where rainfall is lower. It is usually found at altitudes of less than 200 m, but may occasionally be found up to 500 m above sea level.