Cupaniopsis papillosa, commonly known as Tully Falls tamarind, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry family and is endemic to a restricted area near Ravenshoe. It is a shrub or small tree with paripinnate leaves with 5 to 7 elliptic, egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, separate male and female, white flowers arranged in panicles, the fruit a fawn-yellow capsule.

Description

Cupaniopsis papillosa is a shrub or small tree that typically grows to a height of up to 12 m (39 ft) and often has many stems. Its leaves are paripinnate with 5 to 6 leaflets on a petiole 50–75 mm (2.0–3.0 in) long, the leaflets elliptic, egg-shaped or lance-shaped, 42–185 mm (1.7–7.3 in) long 15–56 mm (0.59–2.20 in) wide on a rhachis 40–275 mm (1.6–10.8 in) long and slightly flattened or winged. Separate male and female flowers are borne in pendulous panicles 70–300 mm (2.8–11.8 in) long, male flowers on a pedicel 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long. The 5 sepals are arranged in two rows, the outer ones 3–4.5 mm (0.12–0.18 in) long and the inner ones 2.8–4 mm (0.11–0.16 in) long. The 5 petals are white, fan-shaped, 1.8–3 mm (0.071–0.118 in) long and hairy and the male flowers have 8 stamens. The fruit is fawn-yellow and slightly rough, 20–35 mm (0.79–1.38 in) long and 15–30 mm (0.59–1.18 in) wide. The seeds are glossy tan-brown with a red aril.

Taxonomy

Cupaniopsis papillosa was first formally described in 2006 by Paul Irwin Forster in the journal Austrobaileya from specimens collected near Ravenshoe in 2004. The specific epithet (papillosa) means 'pipillose'.

Distribution and habitat

Tully Falls tamarind grows as an understorey shrub at altitudes between 900–1,000 m (3,000–3,300 ft) in the Ravenshoe - Tully Falls area in north Queensland.