Golden Penda - Xanthostemon spp.

Another genus in the Mrytaceae has species that lives in the tropical rainforest and some of the closer woodlands. The locally well-known 'Golden Penda' that has become quite popular in the horticulture industry and are commonly planted in the road dividers in Cairns, belong to the genus Xanthostemon. This name refers to the most obvious feature in this genus; the showy flowers are dominated by lots of yellow stamens (right). There are several different species in the wet tropics, and their taxonomy and reproductive biology has been studied by Dr. Ellen Weber at James Cook University in Cairns, often using specimens in the Daintree and Bloomfield regions. Pendas are easy to see along some of the freshwater creeks in the Daintree area, such as Mossman and Noah's creek, and when they erupt in with their spectacular yellow flowers it suddenly becomes obvious how locally common they really are.

Script: Courtesy of  Damon Ramsey BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide