Unknown tree

The attached leaves belong to a moderately tall tree, single trunk. New leaves are enclosed in a sheath (not sure of the terminology). Any help greatly appreciated.

 

If I didn't know better, I'd be saying Pumamaqui (Oreopanax) - except that you're in Australia and it's a primary-growth forest tree here. Maybe check out the Araliaceae - many of them produce their new leaves exactly as you see in that photo.

 

I want to be in on the answer - your photos are gorgeous. Digging around I have yet to come up with anything close.

 

Have been following for over a year -no flowers. The mature leaves are being eaten by insects. The tree is in the RBG Melbourne, so may not be Australian. It's in the New Caledonia Collection, but no necessarily from New Caledonia. Have been through the list of plants for that Collection, but no match. Thanks alot for all your thoughts.

 

Eriobotrya deflexa (native to Japan and China) has a not unsimilar emergent leaf - am not saying it is your plant but at least that heads to a family (Rosaceae). If it is a young tree it may not be flowering. Is the leaf arrangement spiral or alternate?

 

Could it be some kind of Nothofagus?

http://www.florachilena.cl/Niv_tax/...gales/Nothofagaceae/Nothofagus hojas copy.jpg

You could always email them the pics to enquire what it is ...

rbg@rbg.vic.gov.au

 

Sadly, it is very difficult/ impossible to say which genus a tree is in, by the leaves alone. It is only with evidence of flowers that you could put it in Rosaceae.

For example I am thinking of Quercus phellos, that has leaves like a willow tree. You would never think of it as an oak tree from looking at the leaves! Another example is the Fraxinus anomale with single leaves and Acer carpinifolius that has leaves like a hornbeam.etc etc

Looking at the 2nd pic. of the emerging leaves it would appear to be compound palmate. There seem to be at least 3 leaflets coming from the same stalk. Possibly 5 leaflets looking at pic 1. Or am I seeing things that aren't there?

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=pa...tart=0&ndsp=11&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=84&ty=54

 

RBG doesn't know what the tree is. Attached a closer view of the leaves - 5 in a (?) whorl. Thanks you all for all your suggestions; am looking at all of them.

 

Yep, compound palmate leaves, which makes Araliaceae a good possibility (and New Caledonia has several endemics in that family).

Can you add a pic showing a main stem with several leaves (i.e., several "sets of 5 leaves" on a thick stem)?

 

MichealF - Yes, will take photo of whole tree next Tuesday.

 

Check out Schefflera pseudocandelabrum and Plerandra pancheri. The two are quite similar, and both are New Caledonia natives.

EDIT - The more I look at it, the more it seems that you should be looking closely at Plerandra. Of all the New Caledonian genera I can find photo records for, it's the one with the highest number of similar leaf arrangements....

 

In the attached pics, the branches are directly off the trunk, and each compound leaf is directly off the branch. Having trouble finding Schefflera pseudocandelabrum and Plerandra pancheri pictures.

I see why everyone mentions Araliaceae; they all seem to have more than 5 leaves in the whorl.

There's a Nothofagus close by, but the leaves are all single.

That red center where the leaflets join seems familiar, but unable to recall why.

Thanks everyone for all your comments.

 

My original guess, which I didn't share, was something in the Sapindaceae -- I was really only basing that on how the bud scales reflex, much like in a maple. I see that it also has opposite arrangement...

 

http://www.plantsystematics.org/imgs/kcn2/r/Hippocastanaceae_Billia_hippocastanum_1437.html

shopping around Order Sapindales got to Hippocastanaceae and the above image - closer?

 

Billia (and its close relative Aesculus) does look a good possibility from the new photos. Only problem is, neither is from New Caledonia (Billia from Mexico to NW South America; Aesculus from the temperate northern hemisphere).

 

Not sure we want to lock in on New Caledonia yet. Davallia had said "It's in the New Caledonia Collection, but no necessarily from New Caledonia."

https://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~...esculus_X_carnea_'briotti'_TOWER-HILL_01s.JPG
try this one (thanks for the hint Michael).

 

OK!

Ooops, had my thinking cap off for a bit – forgetting this is in Australia, and therefore early spring (equivalent to late February, for northern hemisphere readers). So it can't be any Aesculus, as they're all deciduous, and leafless at the moment 'down under'. This tree is evergreen.

Billia is evergreen, so that's still in contention.

 

aesculus_X_carnea_'briotti' is the plant I do believe.

 

It can't be, look at my previous post ;-)

 

might the deciduous trait depend on the cross?

Here is what uconn has to say about it - in bloom in late spring so could be in leaf now; this thread also explains the lack of flowers Davallia mentioned.

http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/a/aescar/aescar1.html
blooms in late spring
erect 5" to 8" clusters of pink to red flowers
Fruit
capsule, 1-1.5" long, round
husks light brown, prickly; seed glossy brown
Bark
similar to A. hippocastanum; dark gray-brown, platy on old wood
Culture
similar to other Aesculus
more drought-tolerant than A. hippocastanum
Landscape Use
specimen or shade tree
Liabilities
leaf, twig and fruit litter can be a problem
sunscald of trunks in colder parts of range
less prone to leaf scorch, leaf blotch and mildew than A. hippocastanum
ID Features
large, palmately compound leaves, smaller and darker green than A. hippocastanum
large, resinous terminal bud not as sticky as that of A. hippocastanum
smaller, more rounded habit than A. hippocastanum
Propagation
some reports indicate that A. x carnea breeds true, some that it is nearly sterile
usually propagated by grafting

Cultivars/Varieties
'Briotii' (Ruby Red Horsechestnut) - Slightly smaller than the species, with larger flower clusters and deeper red flower color. The most popular cultivar of this species, less susceptible to fungal disease than other Aesculus.

 

I regret that I cannot help with the id of this interesting tree.

It would certainly help with id if it had flowers. Maybe it is young and will have to reach maturity before flowering.

The leaves definitely look evergreen.
Davallias post on 29th Aug. pic 1 clearly shows old leaves that are scarred, with brown patches. Indicating it has been on the tree for some time.

I am sure the botanical experts at Melbourne Royal Botanic Garden would have been able to identified this tree before if it was the very common deciduous Aesculus x carnea Briotii.

 

Forum Mates - you're all amazing. Your participation in this dialogue is so appreciated. The picture of Aesculus x carnea 'Briotii' looks like the real thing. I'll continue to follow and if flowers appear, will post a pic. Have been looking at Sapindaceae on the following New Caledonia web site, but no Aesculus -

http://www.endemia.nc/

Collections for specific geographic areas have other plants in the beds, so think this is not New Caledonian.

 

Sorry, but it's definitely not Aesculus x carnea 'Briotii'. Absolutely no way that would be in leaf in Melbourne in August. It would leaf out there in early to mid October, and not in full mature leaf until mid November (and even then, would still be soft, light fresh green, not 'hard', dark green until December-January).

Billia still looks a good potential option.

 

I'll still be researching. All the other Aesculus have started to leaf out here, however. Attached taken last Saturday of Aesculus hippocastanum 'Baumannii'.

 

Yep, not surprising; it leafs out very early here too, around 2 weeks or so earlier than A. × carnea here.