| Chain fruit | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Alyxia |
| Species: | A. oblongata |
| Binomial name | |
| Alyxia oblongata | |
| Synonyms [3] | |
| |
Alyxia oblongata, commonly known as the chain fruit, prickly lixy, or prickly Alyxia, is a plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae endemic to a small part of northeastern Queensland.
Alyxia oblongata is an evergreen shrub growing up to 3 m (9.8 ft) high. [4] The dark glossy green leaves are borne in whorls of three or four on the twigs, and measure about 3.5 by 1 cm (1.38 by 0.39 in). [4] They are elliptic with a sharp, rigid tip and have up to 20 lateral veins. [4]
The flowers are typical of the family, being white with five sepals and petals and a long corolla tube. They measure about 13 mm (0.51 in) long and 17 mm (0.67 in) diameter. [4] [5] The fruit are orange/red in colour and may be moniliform, i.e. with the appearance of a string of beads. [4]
This species was first described in 1928 by Czech botanist Karel Domin, who published his description in Bibliotheca Botanica . In 1992 Australian botanist Paul Irwin Forster redefined it as a subspecies of Alyxia ruscifolia, namely A.r. ssp. major, however this combination is no longer accepted by most authorities. [2] [3] [6]
The genus name Alyxia is derived from the Greek word álysos, 'chain', which refers to the chain-like appearance of the fruit. The species epithet oblongata is from 'oblong' and again refers to the appearance of the fruit. [7]
The chain fruit is endemic to northeastern Queensland, from near Cooktown to the southern Atherton Tablelands. It grows in rainforest on volcanic soils of various types, at altitudes from 100 m (330 ft) to 1,000 m (3,300 ft). [4] [5]
This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern. [1] As of 28 January 2023 [update] , it has not been assessed by the IUCN.
