{{Short description|Genus of plant in the family Hamamelidaceae}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}} {{Speciesbox |name = ''Neostrearia fleckeri'' |image = Neostrearia-fleckeri-SF2453-01.jpg |image_caption = In flower at the Cairns Botanic Gardens |status = NT |status_system = QLDNCA |status_ref = {{R|DESQLD}} |display_parents = 4 |genus = Neostrearia |parent_authority = L.S.Sm.{{R|APNIa|POWOa}} |species = fleckeri |authority = L.S.Sm.{{R|APNI|POWO}} |range_map = }}
'''''Neostrearia''''' is a monotypic genus - i.e. a genus containing only one species - of plants in the witch-hazel family Hamamelidaceae. It is the second described of three monotypic Australian genera in this family, the others being ''Ostrearia'' and ''Noahdendron''. It is most closely related to these genera, as well as ''Trichocladus'' (4 species) from southern Africa and ''Dicoryphe'' (13 species) from Madagascar, and together these five genera form a distinct clade within Hamamelidaceae.{{R|LIKLEIN}}
The sole species in this genus is '''''Neostrearia fleckeri''''', described in 1958 and endemic to the rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia.
==Description== ''Neostrearia fleckeri'' is a small tree growing to {{cvt|10|-|12|m}} tall, and it may be buttressed. The leaves are simple and alternate, and measure up to {{cvt|18|cm}} long by {{cvt|7|cm}} wide. They are glossy green above and glaucous (chalky blue-green) below, with a petiole up to {{cvt|12|mm|2}} long and very fine, hair-like stipules about {{cvt|4|mm|2}} long.{{R|FOA|RFK|COOPER2}}
The inflorescence is {{botanygloss|terminal}} (i.e. it is produced from the very end of the branch) and it takes the form of a spike. It is about {{cvt|20|cm}} long, bearing about 40–50 small sessile flowers. The {{botanygloss|calyx|calyces}} are densely covered in very fine brown hairs, and about {{cvt|3|-|4|mm|2}} long. The petals are creamy-yellow to white, about {{cvt|15|mm|2}} long and {{cvt|2|mm|2}} wide, with an irregular, crinkled appearance.{{R|FOA|RFK|COOPER2}}
The fruit is a dark brown, woody capsule about {{cvt|15|mm|2}} long by {{cvt|10|mm|2}} wide. Each of the two segments of the capsule contains one or two small black seeds about {{cvt|10|mm|2}} long.{{R|FOA|RFK|COOPER2}}
==Taxonomy== This species was described by the Australian botanist Lindsay Stuart Smith, based on material collected from Babinda Creek in 1949 by the Cairns medical practitioner, naturalist, and founder of the Flecker Herbarium, Dr. Hugo Flecker. Smith's paper was published in the journal ''Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland'' in 1958.{{R|APNI|RFK|COOPER2}}
===Etymology=== The genus name ''Neostrearia'' is a combination of "neo" meaning new, and ''Ostrearia'', the pre-existing, closely related genus. The species epithet ''fleckeri'' is in honour of Hugo Flecker, who collected the type specimen.{{R|COOPER2}}
==Distribution and habitat== The distribution of this species is very limited, confined to coastal and sub-coastal parts of northeast Queensland from the Daintree River in the north, to near Innisfail, about {{cvt|150|km}} south.{{R|FOA|RFK|COOPER2}} The recorded collections and observations suggest it only occurs at the two extremities of that range.{{R|AVH|INAT}} It grows in well developed rainforest on lowlands and foothills up to {{cvt|650|m}}, often close to creeks and rivers.{{R|FOA|RFK|COOPER2}}
==Conservation== This species is listed by the Queensland Government's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation as near threatened.{{R|DESQLD}} {{As of|2024|02|22}}, it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
==Gallery== <gallery mode="packed"> File:Neostrearia-fleckeri-SF2453-02.jpg|Foliage File:Neostrearia-fleckeri-SF2453-03.jpg|Close up of foliage showing stipules File:Neostrearia-fleckeri-SF2453-06.jpg|Comparison of upper and lower leaf surfaces File:Neostrearia-fleckeri-SF2453-08.jpg|Close up of flowers File:Neostrearia-fleckeri-SF2453-10.jpg|Detail of fruit against a 1 cm grid </gallery>
==References== {{Reflist|28em|refs= <ref name="DESQLD">{{cite web |url=https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/details/?id=12138 |title=Species profile—''Neostrearia fleckeri'' |year=2022 |website=Queensland Department of Environment and Science |publisher=Queensland Government |access-date=22 February 2024}}</ref>
<ref name="APNIa">{{cite web |url=https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/79923 |title=''Neostrearia'' |website=Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) |publisher=Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government |access-date=26 February 2024}}</ref>
<ref name="APNI">{{cite web |url=https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/79952 |title=''Neostrearia fleckeri'' |website=Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) |publisher=Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government |access-date=22 February 2024}}</ref>
<ref name="POWOa">{{cite web |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:19607-1 |title=''Neostrearia'' L.S.Sm. |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |year=2024 |access-date=26 February 2024}}</ref>
<ref name="POWO">{{cite web |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:430737-1 |title=''Neostrearia fleckeri'' L.S.Sm. |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |year=2024 |access-date=22 February 2024}}</ref>
<ref name="FOA">{{cite web |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Neostrearia%20fleckeri |title=''Neostrearia fleckeri'' |last1=Hewson |first1=H.J. |year=2022 |editor-last1= |editor-first1= |website=Flora of Australia |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra |access-date=22 February 2024}}</ref>
<ref name="RFK">{{cite web |url=https://apps.lucidcentral.org/rainforest/text/entities/Neostrearia_fleckeri.htm |title=''Neostrearia fleckeri'' |author1=F.A.Zich |author2=B.P.M.Hyland |author3=T.Whiffen |author4=R.A.Kerrigan |author2-link=Bernard Hyland |year=2020 |website=Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8) |publisher=Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government |access-date=22 February 2024}}</ref>
<ref name="COOPER2">{{Cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=Wendy |last2=Cooper |first2=William T. |author-link2=William T. Cooper |date=June 2004 |title=Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest |publication-place=Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia |publisher=Nokomis Editions |isbn=978-0958174213 |url=https://www.nokomis.com.au/product/nokomis-published-books/fruits-australian-tropical-rainforest/ |page=227}}</ref>
<ref name="LIKLEIN">{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Jianhua |last2=Klein |first2=Anita S. |title=Phylogenetic relationships in the Hamamelidaceae: Evidence from the nucleotide sequences of the plastid gene matK |journal=Plant Systematics and Evolution |date=1999 |volume=218 |issue=3 |page=212 |doi=10.1007/BF01089228|bibcode=1999PSyEv.218..205L |s2cid=25179689 }}</ref>
<ref name="AVH">{{cite web |title=Search: species: Neostrearia fleckeri {{!}} Occurrence records |url=https://avh.ala.org.au/occurrences/search?taxa=Neostrearia%20fleckeri#tab_mapView |website=Australasian Virtual Herbarium |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=22 February 2024}}</ref>
<ref name="INAT">{{cite web |title=Observations |url=https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations?place_id=any&subview=map&taxon_id=1150599 |website=iNaturalist |access-date=22 February 2024}}</ref> }}
==External links== {{Commons category||''Neostrearia fleckeri''}} * [https://avh.ala.org.au/occurrences/search?taxa=Neostrearia+fleckeri#tab_mapView View a map] of herbarium collections of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium * [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?subview=map&taxon_id=1150599 View observations] of this species on iNaturalist * [https://flickriver.com/search/Neostrearia+fleckeri See images] of this species on Flickriver
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q10336329|from2=Q16766160}}
Category:Hamamelidaceae genera Category:Monotypic Saxifragales genera Category:Taxa named by Lindsay Stuart Smith Category:Taxa described in 1958 Category:Hamamelidaceae Category:Endemic flora of Queensland