Flindersia is a genus of 17 species of small to large trees belonging to the family Rutaceae (order Sapindales), the same family as citrus and rue. The genus was formally described in 1814 by the Scottish botanist Robert Brown in the voyage journal A Voyage to Terra Australis, written by the British navigator Matthew Flinders, after whom the genus is named.
Trees in the genus bear simple or pinnate leaves with up to sixteen leaflets arranged in opposite pairs along the rachis. The flowers are borne in panicles at the ends of branchlets or in the upper leaf axils and have five sepals, five petals, and five stamens alternating with five staminodes. The flowers are typically bisexual. The ovary has five locules, each containing four to six ovules. The distinctive fruit is a woody, five-valved capsule that splits open at maturity to release brown, winged seeds adapted for wind dispersal.
The genus ranges across Australia, the Moluccas, New Guinea, and New Caledonia. Of its 17 recognised species, 15 occur in Australia and 12 of those are endemic. Many species are rainforest trees. Well-known members include F. brayleyana (Queensland maple), F. australis (Australian teak or crows ash), and F. schottiana (silver ash), all valued for their timber, which is widely used in flooring and cabinet-making.
Etymology
The genus Flindersia was named in honour of Matthew Flinders (1774–1814), the British navigator and cartographer who charted much of the Australian coastline. Robert Brown formally described the genus in 1814 in Flinders' own sea voyage account, A Voyage to Terra Australis.
Distribution
Flindersia species grow naturally in Australia, the Moluccas, New Guinea, and New Caledonia. Of the 17 accepted species, 15 are found in Australia, with 12 being Australian endemics. Most species are associated with rainforest habitats, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales.
History
The genus was formally established in 1814 by Robert Brown, who described it within Matthew Flinders' expedition journal A Voyage to Terra Australis. As of April 2025, Plants of the World Online recognises 17 species in the genus.
