Billardiera versicolor

Last updated

Apple berry
Billardiera versicolor.jpg
In the Australian National Botanic Gardens
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. versicolor
Binomial name
Billardiera versicolor
Billardiera versicolor DistributionMap24.png
Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium
Synonyms [1]
  • Pronaya muelleriana Turcz.
  • Billardiera cymosaauct. non F.Muell.: Walsh, N.G. & Albrecht, D.E. in Walsh, N.G. & Entwisle, T.J. (ed.) (1996)

Billardiera versicolor, commonly known as pale appleberry or sweet appleberry, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a robust, shrubby twiner or scrambler that has mostly narrowly elliptic or narrowly egg-shaped leaves and white, cream-coloured or pale yellow flowers with mauve-red blotches that spread as the flowers age.

Contents

Description

Billardiera versicolor is robust, shrubby twiner or scrambler with stems up to several metres long. The adult leaves are more or less sessile, narrowly egg-shaped to narrowly elliptic, 25–60 mm (0.98–2.36 in) long and 4–15 mm (0.16–0.59 in) wide. The flowers are arranged in sessile groups of about five to twelve, each flower on a pedicel 10–12 mm (0.39–0.47 in) long. The sepals are yellowish-green and 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long and the petals white, cream-coloured or pale yellow, 10–12 mm (0.39–0.47 in) long, with mauve-red blotches that spread as the flower ages. Flowering mainly occurs from September to December and the mature fruit is a green berry 13–15 mm (0.51–0.59 in) long containing many seeds. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

Billardiera versicolor was first formally described in 1857 by Friedrich Wilhelm Klatt in the journal Linnaea from an unpublished description by Ferdinand von Mueller. [6] [7] The specific epithet (versicolor) means "variously coloured" or "changing colour". [8]

Distribution and habitat

This species of Billardiera mainly grows in mallee, but also in woodland and scrub, and occurs in western New South Wales, in the western half of Victoria and on the Eyre Peninsula and in the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Billardiera</i> Genus of plants

Billardiera, commonly known as appleberries, snot berries, or bluebell creepers, is a genus of flowering plants in the family, Pittosporaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Billardiera are woody scramblers, climbers or twiners with elliptic, lance-shaped or linear leaves arranged alternately along the stems, the flowers with petals that are joined to form a tube at the base with spreading lobes, and succulent or fleshy fruit.

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

Billardiera cymosa, commonly known as sweet apple-berry or love fruit, is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is usually a slender climber that has narrowly egg-shaped leaves and pale blue or pale purplish flowers arranged in groups of about five to twelve.

<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>Lobelia purpurascens</i> Species of flowering plant

Lobelia purpurascens, commonly known as white root or purplish pratia, is a flowering plant in the family Campanulaceae of eastern Australia. It is a small herbaceous, scrambling plant with white to pale pink flowers.

<i>Pimelea spinescens</i> Species of shrub

Pimelea spinescens, commonly known as plains rice-flower, spiny rice-flower or prickly pimelea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to Victoria. It is a spreading undershrub with elliptic leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and heads of white, cream-coloured or yellow flowers surrounded by 4 elliptic, leaf-like involucral bracts.

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

Billardiera sericophora is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to the south-east of South Australia. It is spreading shrub or climber that has mostly narrowly elliptic leaves and pendent yellow flowers arranged singly or in pairs.

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

Billardiera fraseri, commonly known as elegant pronaya, is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a climber with densely silky-hairy new shoots, leaves and flowers, narrowly elliptic leaves and deep purple or pink flowers arranged in groups.

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

Billardiera fusiformis, commonly known as Australian bluebell, is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a sturdy, shrubby climber that has linear to narrowly elliptic leaves and blue, white or pink, nodding flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to four.

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

Billardiera coriacea is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a woody scrambler or climber that has more or less oblong leaves, the flowers white to pale yellow and arranged singly or in small groups on short side shoots.

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

Billardiera drummondii is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender climber that has linear leaves and tiny nodding, blue or mauve flowers arranged in groups of up to three.

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

Marianthus tenuis is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a slender, twining shrub with clustered, narrowly elliptic leaves and white flowers tinged with mauve and with darker spots on three of the five petals.

<i>Dampiera rosmarinifolia</i> Species of plant

Dampiera rosmarinifolia, commonly known as rosemary dampiera, is a flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae.It is a perennial subshrub with linear leaves, mauve or purple flowers borne in leaf axils.

Olearia picridifolia, commonly known as rasp scrub-daisy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with narrowly egg-shaped or narrowly elliptic leaves, and blue, mauve or white and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.

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

Billardiera floribunda, commonly known as white-flowered billardiera, is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a robust twining shrub or climber that has thick, leathery, elliptic leaves and white or pinkish flowers arranged in groups of ten or more.

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

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.

<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>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 speciosa</i> Species of plant

Billardiera speciosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to southern Western Australia. It is a slender climber that grows in coastal heath and has narrowly elliptic leaves with the edges rolled under and groups of purple or mauve flowers.

<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. 1 2 "Billardiera versicolor". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Conn, Barry J. "Billardiera versicolor". Rpoyal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Billardiera versicolor". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  4. 1 2 Messina, Andre; Stajsic, Val. "Billardiera versicolor". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Billardiera versicolor". South Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  6. "Billardiera versicolor". APNI. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  7. Klatt, Friedrich W. (1857). "Plantae Muellerianae - Pittosporeae". Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. 28 (5): 571. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  8. William T. Stearn (1992). Botanical Latin. History, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary (4th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 527.