| Brown randia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Inflorescence | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Genus: | Atractocarpus |
| Species: | A. sessilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Atractocarpus sessilis | |
| Synonyms [4] | |
| |
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).
Atractocarpus sessilis is a much branched shrub or small tree growing to about 15 m (49 ft) tall with a silver-grey trunk about 25 cm (9.8 in) diameter. The leaves are simple, arranged in opposite pairs on the twigs, glossy dark green above and duller below. Mature sun leaves may be 33 cm (13 in) long and 14 cm (5.5 in) wide, shade leaves are smaller. They are coriaceous, obovate to broadly elliptic in shape, and are held on petioles that may be up to 25 mm (1 in) long. They have 6–10 pairs of secondary veins that depart from the midrib at an angle between 55–65°, and reticulate tertiary venation. [5] [6] [7]
The inflorescences are produced in the leaf axils, and as this species is dioecious, male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. Male inflorescences may have 15 or more flowers in a fascicle, while female inflorescences rarely have more than one flower. The flowers are sessile, meaning that there is no supporting stem and they attach directly to the twigs. They are white with five recurved petals measuring up to 18 mm (0.7 in) long and 5 mm (0.2 in) wide; the calyx tube is 8 to 10 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) long and the corolla tube is 10 to 15 mm (0.4 to 0.6 in) long. [5] [6] [7]
The fruit is a drupe, ellipsoid (like a rugby ball) or ovoid (like a chicken egg) in shape, measuring up to 60 mm (2.4 in) long by 50 mm (2.0 in) diameter, with a persistent calyx at the distal end. They are a dull rusty or ochre colour when mature with a scurfy exterior, and contain numerous seeds measuring about 6 by 7 mm (0.2 by 0.3 in). [5] [6] [7]
This species was first described as Randia sessilis by the German-born Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in his massive work Fragmenta phytographiæ Australiæ. He based his description on a collection of plant material from Cape York Peninsula. [8] In 1999, a review of the genus Atractocarpus in Australia was published by another Australian botanist, Christopher Francis Puttock, in which he gave this species the new combination Atractocarpus sessilis. [5] : 294
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 sessilis refers to the sessile flowers. [7]
The brown randia is native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. In Australia it occurs from the area near Mount Molloy, Queensland, north to the top of Cape York Peninsula, while in PNG it is found in the areas adjacent to Cape York in the vicinity of the Fly River. It typically grows in monsoon forest, beach forest and rainforest, at altitudes from sea level up to 550 m (1,800 ft). [4] [7] [9]
This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as least concern. In support of its assessment, the IUCN states that while the total extent of occurrence of the species is more than 2 million square kilometres, threats exist in PNG but their impact is not known. [1] [2]
Flindersia ifflana, commonly known as hickory ash or Cairns hickory, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to Papua New Guinea and Queensland. It has pinnate leaves with between four and twelve egg-shaped to elliptical leaflets, panicles of white or cream-coloured flowers and woody fruit studded with rough points.
Flindersia schottiana, commonly known as bumpy ash, cudgerie or silver ash, is a species of rainforest tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to New Guinea and eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves with mostly ten to sixteen leaflets, panicles of white flowers and woody fruit studded with rough points.
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.
Melicope bonwickii, commonly known as the yellow evodia or yellow corkwood, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to Java and the Philippines, and southward to New Guinea and north-eastern Australia. It has trifoliate leaves and small pink flowers borne in panicles in leaf axils.
Halfordia is a genus of plants in the family Rutaceae containing the single species Halfordia kendack commonly known as kerosenewood, southern ghittoe or saffronheart, is a rainforest plant that is native to eastern Australia, New Guinea and New Caledonia. It is a shrub or tree with elliptical to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, panicles of white, greenish white or yellowish flowers and purple to bluish black, spherical to oval fruit.
Palmeria scandens, commonly known as the anchor vine or pomegranate vine, is a climbing plant in the family Monimiaceae prevalent in rainforests of Queensland and New South Wales. It may also be present in New Guinea.
Melicope xanthoxyloides is a species of small tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to New Guinea and Queensland. It has trifoliate leaves and small green to yellow or cream-coloured flowers arranged in panicles in leaf axils.
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.
Hydriastele wendlandiana, commonly known as Wendland's palm, cat o' nine tails, creek palm or kentia palm, is a tall, multi-stemmed tree in the palm family Arecaceae. It is native to New Guinea and the Australian states of Queensland and the Northern Territory.
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.
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.
Atractocarpus merikin, commonly known as the mountain gardenia or merikin, is a plant in the Rubiaceae family endemic to northeast Queensland, Australia.
Alpinia arctiflora, commonly known as the pleated ginger, is a plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae which is endemic to northeastern Queensland.
Archidendron vaillantii, commonly known as the salmon bean, is an evergreen tree in the legume family Fabaceae. It is endemic to the rainforests of northeast Queensland.
Fagraea fagraeacea, commonly known as yellowheart or pink jitta, is a plant in the gentian family Gentianaceae which is native to New Guinea and Queensland.
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.
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.
Gillbeea adenopetala, commonly known as Pink alder, is an evergreen tree in the largely southern hemisphere family Cunoniaceae. It was first described in 1865 and is endemic to a small part of Queensland, Australia.
Data related to Atractocarpus sessilis at Wikispecies
Media related to Atractocarpus sessilis at Wikimedia Commons