Alocasia brisbanensis

Last updated

Spoon lily
Alocasia brisbanensis (Bailey) Domin (AM AK302022-2).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Genus: Alocasia
Species:
A. brisbanensis
Binomial name
Alocasia brisbanensis
Synonyms [3]
  • Alocasia macrorrhizos var. brisbanensisF.M.Bailey

Alocasia brisbanensis, commonly known as cunjevoi [a] , elephant ear, native lily or spoon lily, [1] [2] [4] is a species of plant in the family Araceae native to rainforests of eastern Australia. The common name "cunjevoi" derives from the Bundjalung language of northern New South Wales. [5] It has been cultivated for its large tropical leaves and the heavily scented flowers. [4]

Contents

Description

Leaf detail Alocasia brisbanensis (Bailey) Domin (AM AK302022-3).jpg
Leaf detail

Alocasia brisbanensis has very large, spade-shaped, veined leaves on long, fleshy, purplish brown to green, petioles that are 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) long. The plant grows to a height of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) to 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in). Leaves are sagittate to ovate-sagittate, around 70 cm (28 in) long and 60 cm (24 in) wide. They are glossy green in colour, glabrous. [6] Backside lobes have acute to rectangular, marginally rounded tips. [7]

Stretched 'oil dots' are visible along the veinlets of the leaves. [4] New shoots grow concurrently with the inflorescence, without a rest period. Stem is prostrate to erect, 13 cm (5.1 in) in diameter, arrayed in the brown remains of spent leaf bases. [7]

Inflorescence

The peduncle is just about as long as the petioles. The spathe is around 25 cm (9.8 in) long, confined around a third of the length from the base, and is pointed at the tip and open by one side. The limb is ovate to lanceolate, spoon-like (seldom crooked), generally green, which wilts away. The spadix is somewhat shorter than the spathe, dwindling, and is extremely fragrant. Male flowers are typically straight with up to 40 consolidated anthers. [6] There is a distinct flowering peak in December and January, though there are flowering and fruiting collections from all months, except the winter. [7]

The pollen is white or translucent, and the stigma is three-lobed. [4] The perfumed, summer flowers are greenish-cream in colour, and similar to an arum lily. The ovoid, 8–15 mm long red fruits, wwith a pink or red pericarp, follow the flowering. [4] [8] Fruits split open lengthwise when mature. [7] Seeds are one or two per fruit, about 6-7 mm long. The embryo is about 5 mm long. [4] Ovary is pale green, and female zone contains 120 pistils. [7]

Fruit is eaten by Lewin's honeyeaters, Regent Bowerbirds, Brush-turkeys, Eastern Water Dragons and Victoria's Riflebirds. [4] [7]

Distribution

At D'Aguilar National Park in Queensland Alocasia brisbanensis Maiala National Park Mt Glorious 1980s IMG 0111.jpg
At D'Aguilar National Park in Queensland

It is found on tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate rainforest margins at low altitudes, and as an understorey herbaceous plant in moist, shaded to partial shaded areas, such as creeks and wetlands. [9] It thrives in pleiotrophic soils, along creek lines and moist forest grounds, such as Coastal Swamp Oak Forests. [7]

In New South Wales, it is found mainly in coastal areas and disturbed areas, north from the Illawarra district, inland to Dorrigo and upper Clarence River. [6] Its altitudinal range is from near sea level to 1,000 m (3,300 ft). [4]

Cultivation

It is cultivated as a houseplant and a garden plant namely for its large, exotic looking leaves and perfumed flowers. It thrives in bright sunlight when grown indoors, though the afternoon sun can bleach the leaves. In the garden, it does well in partial shade, though since it is a tropical plant it can be sensitive to cold or dry conditions and it requires high humidity levels to flourish. In the winter, the plant goes through a dormancy period. The plant benefits from a fertiliser in the growing season for nourishment. Mealybugs, spider mites and aphids are pests that commonly affect the plant. [10]

Chemistry

The plant is poisonous, and contact with the sap can lead to skin and eye irritation due to the presence of needle-like crystals of Calcium oxalate. [4] Eating any part of the plant causes immediate pain, a burning sensation and swelling of the lips, tongue and mouth. A small number of children have died as a result of eating parts of the plant. [11]

A percentage of people believe that newly-cut leaf stalks or stems of the plant will act as an antidote for the sting of the Stinging Tree, relieving the stinging pain. [4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Species profile—Alocasia brisbanensis". Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Queensland Government. 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Alocasia brisbanensis". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government . Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  3. "Alocasia brisbanensis (F.M.Bailey) Domin". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Alocasia brisbanensis". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  5. "Aboriginal words in English". State Library of Queensland. 18 July 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 A. Hay (1993). "Alocasia brisbanensis (F.M.Bailey) Domin". PlantNET. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ALOCASIA BRISBANENSIS Aroidpedia. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  8. Wrigley, John; Fagg, Murray (1997). Australian Native Plants (4 ed.). Kew, Victoria: Reed Books. ISBN   0-7301-0493-1.
  9. Focus on Flora: Cunjevoi - Alocasia brisbanensis Forest Heart ecoNursery. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  10. Alocasia Brisbanensis – Cunjevoi Elephant Ear – Plant Care Tips The Jungle Collective Nursery. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  11. "Cunjevoi (Alocasia brisbanensis)". Children's Health Queensland. Queensland Government . Retrieved 16 January 2023.

Notes

  1. The term "cunjevoi" also refers to a marine animal