About: Athertonia
Athertonia is a genus of tall trees, constituting part of the plant family Proteaceae. It is a monotypic taxon, and the sole described species is Athertonia diversifolia, commonly known as Atherton oak. It is a small to medium-sized tree and is endemic to restricted tablelands and mountainous regions of the wet tropics rain forests of north-eastern Queensland, Australia, where it is widespread. For example, it grows in the Atherton Tableland region with which it shares its name, from the colonial pastoralist John Atherton (1837–1913). Its closest relatives are Heliciopsis (South Asia) and Virotia (New Caledonia). A relative of the macadamia, it has potential as an ornamental tree and has an edible nut.
