Billardiera macrantha

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Billardiera macrantha
Billardiera macrantha.jpg
Near Toolangi
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Pittosporaceae
Genus: Billardiera
Species:
B. macrantha
Binomial name
Billardiera macrantha
Billardiera macrantha Dist Map13.png
Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium

Billardiera macrantha is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a slender twiner with narrowly elliptic leaves and yellowish-green flowers arranged singly on thin, pendent peduncles. This species is often confused with the similar Tasmanian endemic, Billardiera longiflora .

Contents

Description

Billardiera macrantha is a slender twiner with shiny brown stems. Its adult leaves are narrowly elliptic, 24–53 mm (0.94–2.09 in) long and 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) wide on a petiole 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) long. The edges of the leaves curve slightly downwards, the upper surface is glossy green and the lower surface paler. The flowers are arranged singly on a thin, pendent peduncle 17–33 mm (0.67–1.30 in) long. The sepals vary in shape, commonly egg-shaped to needle-like, and 3–9 mm (0.12–0.35 in) long. The petals are spatula-shaped, yellowish-green and tinged or spotted with dark blue at the edges, 26–38 mm (1.0–1.5 in) long, the lobes spreading but not curved backwards. Flowering occurs from October to February and the mature fruit is a shiny purple, oval berry 18–20 mm (0.71–0.79 in) long, containing many seeds. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Billardiera macrantha was first formally described in 1855 by Joseph Dalton Hooker in The botany of the Antarctic voyage of H.M. Discovery ships Erebus and Terror from a specimen collected by Ronald Campbell Gunn. [5] [6] The specific epithet (macrantha) means "large-flowered". [7]

Most species of Billardiera are endemic to a restricted part of Australia, but B. macrantha, as presently circumscribed, has a relatively wide distribution. It is possible that this species is part of a larger species complex. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This twiner grows in tall Nothofagus and eucalypt forest in moist sites at higher altitudes. It occurs on the Northern and Southern Tablelands of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, on the Otways and mountain ranges east of Melbourne and isolated places further west, and in Tasmania. [2] [3] [4] [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Billardiera longiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Billardiera longiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a woody twiner or climber that has variably-shaped, often elliptic leaves, often varying with altitude, and greenish-yellow, pendent, tube-shaped flowers arranged singly and turning blue as they age. This species is often confused with the similar Billardiera macrantha of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania.

<i>Eucalyptus nitida</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus nitida, commonly known as the Smithton peppermint, is a species of tree or mallee that is endemic to Tasmania. It has varying amounts of loose, fibrous or flaky bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of nine to fifteen, white flowers and cup-shaped to hemispherical fruit.

<i>Bossiaea cordigera</i> Species of legume

Bossiaea cordigera , commonly known as wiry bossiaea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is a straggling shrub with wiry branches, egg-shaped to more or less heart-shaped leaves and yellow and red flowers.

<i>Leptospermum nitidum</i> Species of shrub

Leptospermum nitidum, commonly known as shiny tea-tree, is a species of compact shrub that is endemic to Tasmania. It has crowded, aromatic, elliptical leaves, white flowers about 15 mm (0.59 in) in diameter and fruit that remain on the plants until it is burned or dies.

<i>Hibbertia ericifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Hibbertia ericifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is small, sometimes low-lying to spreading shrub with wiry stems, linear to narrow elliptic leaves, and yellow flowers arranged on the ends of branchlets, with ten to twenty-four stamens arranged around the three carpels.

<i>Boronia citriodora</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia citriodora, commonly known as lemon-scented boronia, lemon plant or lemon thyme, is a woody shrub that is endemic to Tasmania. It has pinnate leaves and white to pink flowers that are arranged singly or in groups of up to seven, in the leaf axils or on the ends of the branches.

<i>Boronia gunnii</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia gunnii, commonly known as Gunn's boronia or Cataract Gorge boronia is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is an erect shrub with compound leaves and pink or white, four-petalled flowers.

<i>Epacris petrophila</i> Species of plant

Epacris petrophila, commonly known as snow heath, is a species of flowering plant from the heath family, Ericaceae, and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect, bushy, sometimes low-lying shrub with egg-shaped to elliptic leaves and tube-shaped white flowers in small clusters on the ends of branches.

<i>Pultenaea humilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Pultenaea humilis, commonly known as dwarf bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a spreading, often low-lying shrub with branches that are hairy when young, elliptic to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow to orange and red flowers.

<i>Pultenaea prostrata</i> Species of plant

Pultenaea prostrata, commonly known as silky bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a small, rigid, wiry, low-lying or prostrate shrub with cylindrical leaves, and yellow, red and purple-brown flowers.

<i>Olearia ericoides</i> Species of shrub

Olearia ericoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a slender shrub with oblong leaves and white and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.

<i>Epacris franklinii</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris franklinii is a species of flowering plant in the heath family, Ericaceae, and is endemic to Tasmania. It is an erect, spreading shrub with lance-shaped or elliptic leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers.

<i>Cryptandra alpina</i> Species of flowering plant

Cryptandra alpina, commonly known as alpine pearlflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a small, prostrate shrub with slender branches, linear leaves, and tube-shaped white flowers arranged singly on the ends of branches.

<i>Billardiera mutabilis</i> Species of plant

Billardiera mutabilis, commonly known as climbing apple berry, apple berry, snot berry, apple dumplings or changeable-flowered billardiera, is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a slender climber or twiner with narrowly elliptic leaves and bell-shaped, greenish-yellow flowers that turn bluish as they age.

<i>Marianthus bignoniaceus</i> Shrub of the pittosporum family

Marianthus bignoniaceus, commonly known as orange bell-creeper, is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to Victoria. It is a slender climber with egg-shaped or narrowly egg-shaped leaves and green and orange or salmon-pink flowers arranged singly or in pairs.

<i>Billardiera nesophila</i> Species of flowering plant

Billardiera nesophila is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a slender, twining shrub that has narrowly elliptic leaves and pendent yellowish-green flowers that turn canary yellow as they age.

<i>Billardiera ovalis</i> Species of flowering plant

Billardiera ovalis is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a woody, creeping scrambler with thick, egg-shaped or elliptic leaves, and creamy-yellow flowers arranged singly in leaf axils, but turning red as they age.

<i>Billardiera rubens</i> Species of flowering plant

Billardiera rubens is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a vigorous climber that has narrowly egg-shaped leaves and pendent yellow flowers with a reddish tinge on the edges.

<i>Billardiera uniflora</i> Species of shrub endemic to South Australia

Billardiera uniflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to part of the south-east of South Australia. It is a glabrous, woody climber with narrowly elliptic leaves and pendent yellow flowers arranged singly or in pairs.

<i>Billardiera viridiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Billardiera viridiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to a small area in the north-west of Tasmania. It is a twining shrub that has narrowly elliptic leaves and pendent greenish yellow flowers that turn a deeper yellow as they age.

References

  1. "Billardiera macrantha". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Billardiera macrantha". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  3. 1 2 Conn, Barry J. "Billardiera macrantha". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  4. 1 2 Messina, Andre; Stajsic, Val. "Billardiera macrantha". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  5. "Billardiera macrantha". APNI. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  6. Hooker, Joseph Dalton (1860). The botany of the Antarctic voyage of H.M. discovery ships Erebus and Terror in the Years 1839-1843 :under the command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross (Part III Flora Tasmaniae). London: Lovell Reeve. pp. 37–38. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  7. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 237. ISBN   9780958034180.
  8. Jordan, Greg. "Billardiera macrantha". University of Tasmania. Retrieved 10 June 2023.