Sarcotoechia villosa

_Sarcotoechia villosa_ . Small sapling, showing this immature foliage . Beside the long loop track, further on than the lookout and down the first set of steps. Mossman Gorge long loop track. 2014 February 11th 12:02 pm. At this time only this single, low resolution (1.3MP) photographs by a low quality, old LG TU500 mobile phone . 2014 Feb. original notes: "" >A particularly interesting small sapling identification challenge to solve. For example, by comparing my observations, roughly against the tenth leaf seedling key characters of the Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants info system (even though these leaves are much later than the tenth leaf—more so a small sapling plant). I’ve made the initial and second comparisons, and gathered further questions of characters to observe. I’ll go back to this plant and record more of those specific detailed observations; eg. i still haven’t ticked off oil dots with the hand lens, rather i had assumed no oil dots. So far, from this initial process including reviewing the info system’s illustrations of tenth leaf seedlings, the results are the following initial possibilities (and we never use previously recorded distribution in lieu of diagnostic features—that would fail, basic, elementary, philosophy and logic—worse than circular reasoning—usually clichéd as: absence of evidence does not mean evidence of absence (nor does it mean any kind of evidence, of course, including evidence of presence)): * _Diploglottis bracteata_ * _Dysoxylum_ spp. – eg. _D. parasiticum_ * _Aglaia_ spp. * etc.. _Diploglottis bernieana_ was excluded by the leaves’ veins consistently different range of angles. >I’ve checked once in heavy rain for (leaves undersides’) domatia and found no presence of them. In the RFK, domatia presence/absence would distinguish between some Meliaceae species and domatia presence would exclude all _Diploglottis_ species according to current descriptions. More checking of features to do. >[1st March] Using the Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants info system key for adult plants’ leaves, makes me just–reckon this plant may eventually work out to identify as _Sarcotoechia villosa_—now that i have noted some, similar foliage, larger mystery saplings and small trees, around this location and used my preliminary observations of them, as well, in the adult leaves keying process—i didn’t see any fertile material on them. <b>The leaves of tenth leaf stage seedlings of _Sarcotoechia villosa_ only have records as simple leaves, at the tenth leaf stage not yet developed into pinnate leaves.</b> >Further observations were made today, 5th March, of the range of saplings and young trees which i’ve observed in this area over the last few weeks, including close-up hand lens details of the leaves. A further highlight today was recognising a mature, much older and gnarled tree. The tree’s identity from a distance was deceptive to the passing eye, by its mature sun leaves reduced to only two much smaller leaflets per pinnate leaf—recognised, eventually, after i looked even more carefully. That they were leaflets and not simple leaves was obscure and deceptive to the passing eye. All obscure to the passing eye compared to the 4–6 large leaflets, of the saplings and young vigorously shoot–growing trees around the area. This one observed mature small tree, out in the open sun on an unstable slope, hides under a heavy covering of a _Austrosteensia_ (Fabaceae) vine (ID thanks to Russell Cumming). From today’s more detailed and greater range of observations i’m reasonably confident that the characters i’ve observed identify the species as _Sarcotoechia villosa_—yay! Fertile material on the mature older tree, i haven’t found any remnants of last season’s reproduction, yet, today. That would provide final confirmation. >Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants information system key characters used, leaf detail observations were from the ca. 5 m high, vigorously shoot–growing, very 'leggy' small young tree: &quot; Leaf characters Leaves whether simple or compound: L4 - compound Leaves arrangement: L5 - alternate or spirally arranged Oil dots visible or not: L12 - visible with a lens Leaf length-breadth ratio: L15 - 1.5 to 4.0 Leaf margin: L17 - smooth Undersurface smooth or not: L37 - hairy or sandpapery Petiole [petiolule] length: L41 - absent, leaves or leaflets sessile Pulvinus [pulvinule] present or absent: L46 - present Compound leaves type: L50 - pinnate with as few as two leaflets Leaflets number: L56 - up to 7 per leaf Rachis winged or not: L60 - not winged Shape (leaf or leaflet of compound leaves): L69 - obovate or oblanceolate Apex shape (leaf or leaflet of compound leaves): L78 - obtuse Base shape (leaf or leaflet of compound leaves): L82 - cuneate; L83 - attenuate &quot; ""