Sphalmium

Sphalmium is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the protea family.^[1][2][3][5] The only species, Sphalmium racemosum, is a large forest tree. Common names include satin silky oak, mystery oak, Mt Lewis oak, poorman's fishtail oak and buff silky oak.^[3][5]

Sphalmium
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Proteales
Family:	Proteaceae
Subfamily:	Grevilleoideae
Genus:	Sphalmium (C.T.White) B.G.Briggs, B.Hyland & L.A.S.Johnson
Species:	S. racemosum
Binomial name
Sphalmium racemosum (C.T.White) B.G.Briggs, B.Hyland & L.A.S.Johnson[1][2][3][4][5]
Synonyms
Orites racemosa C.T.White[1]

The tree grows to 30 m (100 ft) or more. It is endemic to the upland rainforests of the wet tropics region of northeastern Queensland, Australia.^[2][3][5]

History

Botanists Barbara Briggs, Bernie Hyland and Lawrie Johnson named the new genus, updated the description and named the new species combination in 1975.^[2][4] They based the new species combination name on Cyril T. White's 1939 description of Orites racemosa, now a synonym.^[1]