Atractocarpus decorus | |
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Cultivated in Cairns Botanic Gardens | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Rubiaceae |
Genus: | Atractocarpus |
Species: | A. decorus |
Binomial name | |
Atractocarpus decorus | |
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Synonyms [2] | |
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Atractocarpus decorus is a plant in the coffee family Rubiaceae which is endemic to New Guinea. Like many others in the genus, it has glossy dark green leaves and attractive white flowers.
Atractocarpus decorus is a large shrub or small tree growing up to 4 m (13 ft) high. It has large leaves arranged in opposite pairs on the twigs, measuring up to 32 cm (13 in) long by up to 13 cm (5.1 in) wide. They are glossy dark green above and lighter below with 9 to 13 prominent lateral veins each side of the midrib. [4] The female inflorescence consists of a single flower whereas the male inflorescence has between 15 and 30 flowers. Flowers are white with 5 petals, about 5 cm (2.0 in) long and 8 cm (3.1 in) across; the orange fruit is a solitary drupe about 4 cm (1.6 in) long and 3 cm (1.2 in) diameter. [4]
The species was first described in 1925 as Randia decora by Theodoric Valeton, based on material collected across New Guinea by the German botanist Rudolf Schlechter and Swiss botanist Carl Ludwig Ledermann between 1901 and 1912. [5] In a major review of the genus Atractocarpus in 1999 by Christopher Puttock, this species was transferred to Atractocarpus. [4]
The genus name Atractocarpus is derived from the Ancient Greek terms átraktos , meaning "spindle", and karpós meaning "fruit", and refers to the spindle-shaped fruit of the type species. The species epithet decorus is a Latin word meaning "elegant" or "beautiful".
This species is endemic to New Guinea, [2] [3] [4] and grows in numerous locations on the island at altitudes from near sea level to at least 800 m (2,600 ft). [3] [5] [6]
Athertonia is a monotypic genus of plants in the family Proteaceae. The sole described species is Athertonia diversifolia, commonly known as Atherton oak, athertonia, creamy silky oak or white oak. It is endemic to a small part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia. A relative of the macadamia, it has potential in horticulture and the bushfood industry.
Neolitsea dealbata, also known as white bolly gum, hairy-leaved bolly gum, or simply bolly gum, is a shrub or small tree in the laurel family Lauraceae which is native to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia.
Normanbya is a monotypic genus of palms containing the single species Normanbya normanbyi, which is known by the common name black palm It is endemic to Queensland, Australia and is threatened by habitat destruction.
Randia, commonly known as indigoberry, is a mostly Neotropical genus of shrubs or small trees in the Rubiaceae. As of February 2022 Plants of the World Online lists a total of 112 accepted species in the genus. Several Australian species have been reassigned to the genus Atractocarpus. These include the garden plants Atractocarpus chartaceus and A. fitzalanii.
Alpinia caerulea, commonly known as native ginger or Australian ginger, is an understorey perennial herb in the family Zingiberaceae which grows in rainforest, gallery forest and wet sclerophyll forest in eastern Australia.
Atractocarpus chartaceus, commonly known as the narrow-leaved gardenia, is a species of evergreen flowering plant in the madder and coffee family Rubiaceae. It is mostly found in subtropical rainforest of eastern Australia, and it is cultivated for its fragrant flowers and colourful fruit.
Atractocarpus fitzalanii, commonly known as the brown gardenia or yellow mangosteen, is a species of plant in the coffee and madder family Rubiaceae. It is found in coastal parts of tropical Queensland, Australia. The beautifully scented flowers and glossy foliage has seen this plant enter cultivation in gardens of eastern Australia.
Atractocarpus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms atractos "spindle", and karpos "fruit", from the spindle-shaped fruit of the type species.
Gardenia actinocarpa is a rare and endangered plant in the madder family Rubiaceae that grows in a very restricted area within the Wet Tropics rainforest of north-east Queensland.
Atractocarpus hirtus, commonly known as the hairy gardenia or native loquat, is a plant in the coffee family Rubiaceae, a large family of some 6,500 species with a cosmopolitan distribution. This species is endemic to northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Neostrearia is a monotypic genus - i.e. a genus containing only one species - of plants in the witch-hazel family Hamamelidaceae. It is the second described of three monotypic Australian genera in this family, the others being Ostrearia and Noahdendron. It is most closely related to these genera, as well as Trichocladus from southern Africa and Dicoryphe from Madagascar, and together these five genera form a distinct clade within Hamamelidaceae.
Harpullia ramiflora, commonly known as the Claudie tulipwood or Cape York tulipwood, is a tree in the Sapindaceae family native to north east Queensland, New Guinea and parts of Malesia.
Xanthophyllum octandrum, commonly known as Macintyre's boxwood, false jitta, yellow boxwood or sovereignwood, is a slow-growing tree in the milkwort family Polygalaceae which has the potential to reach thousands of years of age. It is endemic to coastal northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Alstonia muelleriana is a tree in the dogbane family Apocynaceae which is native to southern Papua New Guinea and northeastern Queensland.
Atractocarpus merikin, commonly known as the mountain gardenia or merikin, is a plant in the Rubiaceae family endemic to northeast Queensland, Australia.
Pandanus solms-laubachii, commonly known as the swamp pandan, is a small tree in the family Pandanaceae which occurs in northeastern Queensland and possibly in Papua New Guinea. It is closely related to both Pandanus gemmifer and Pandanus grayorum.
Leea nova-guineensis, commonly known as bandicoot berry, is a plant in the family Vitaceae native to parts of Malesia and Oceania.
Atractocarpus sessilis, commonly known as brown randia, is an evergreen shrub in the family Rubiaceae. It is native to both Queensland, Australia, and Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Tetracera daemeliana, commonly known as large-leaved fire vine, is a vine in the guinea flower family Dilleniaceae first described in 1886, which is endemic to the northern half of Queensland, Australia. The flowers are pleasantly perfumed.
Diploglottis diphyllostegia, commonly known as the northern tamarind, native tamarind or wild tamarind, is a tree in the lychee family Sapindaceae which is endemic to Queensland, Australia. It is an attractive tree with potential in cultivation, with a dense crown of dark green leaves and masses of fruit in spring and summer.