Vicious hairy mary | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Arecales |
Family: | Arecaceae |
Genus: | Calamus |
Species: | C. radicalis |
Binomial name | |
Calamus radicalis | |
Synonyms [3] | |
Palmijuncus radicalis(H.Wendl. & Drude) Kuntze |
Calamus radicalis, commonly known as vicious hairy mary, is a plant in the palm family Arecaceae endemic to the rainforests of north east Queensland, Australia. Like other species in the genus Calamus , this is a climbing plant with a very long and flexible stem. It uses sharp strong hooks on the fronds and tendrils to attach itself to other vegetation, such as taller established trees, thus gaining support that enables it to grow higher towards the canopy. This species is very similar to C. australis , with which it coexists, but is larger in almost all respects.
This species has a clustering habit, i.e. several stems are produced from the same base. Stems may reach lengths of up to 40 m (130 ft) and a diameter of 4 cm (1.6 in). [4] [5] The leaves (or fronds) are produced on the youngest part of the stem, and the older sections are bare as the leaves age and fall off (exactly the same process as the more familiar upright palm with a stout stem). The older, leafless part of the stem of Calamus radicalis is smooth and glossy green. [4] [5]
The leaves have a long leaf sheath clasping the stem, which is densely covered with needle-like spines measuring 5 cm (2.0 in) or more. Tendrils, measuring several metres in length and armed with many large, stout, recurved barbs are produced from the leaf sheath. The leaf itself is pinnate, up to 3 m (10 ft) in length, and has 30 to 55 pairs of leaflets. [4] [5] Leaves are armed with stout recurved barbs on both upper and lower surfaces of the rachis, and with fine, short - 15 mm (0.6 in) - spines on the upper surface of the leaflets. [4] [5] The overall outline of the leaf is elliptic and the longest leaflets are at the midpoint, measuring about 50 cm (20 in) long by 3 cm (1.2 in) wide. [4] [5]
The inflorescences are large pendulous panicles measuring several metres in length, carrying either staminate (functionally male) or pistillate (functionally female) flowers. [4] [5]
Fruits are globose, around 10 mm (0.4 in) diameter, with a scaly exterior. [4] [5] They contain a single round seed which is surrounded by a thin layer of soft edible flesh.
Calamus radicalis was first described in 1875 by Hermann Wendland and Carl Georg Oscar Drude in their work Palmae Australasicae, published in the journal Linnaea: Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. [4] [5] [6] The type specimen was collected near the Russell River in Queensland. [5] [6]
This species is restricted to the area from Cape Tribulation southwards to near Mackay. [4] [5] [7] It grows in well developed lowland and highland rainforest, reaching its best development on soils derived from volcanic rocks. [4] [5]
This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern. [1] As of 9 December 2022 [update] , it has not been assessed by the IUCN.
Homoranthus is a genus of about thirty species of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and all are endemic to Australia. Plants in this genus share similarities with those in both Darwinia and Verticordia. They are shrubs with their leaves arranged in opposite pairs and with flowers appearing either singly or in small groups, usually in upper leaf axils. They are found in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. The genus was first described in 1836. None of the species is common nor are they well-known in horticulture.
Archontophoenix alexandrae, commonly known as Alexandra palm, king palm, northern Bangalow palm, or feather palm, is a palm endemic to Queensland, Australia. It was named in honour of Princess Alexandra of Denmark, but is often erroneously referred to by the misnomer Alexander palm.
Grevillea chrysophaea, commonly known as golden grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to Victoria in Australia. It is a spreading shrub with oblong to almost linear leaves, and dull to golden yellow flowers with a red or orange-red style.
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana – commonly known as Bangalow palm, king palm, Illawara palm or piccabeen palm – is a tree in the palm family Arecaceae which is endemic to the east coast of New South Wales and Queensland, Australia.
Calamus australis, commonly known as wait-a-while, hairy mary or lawyer cane, is a plant in the palm family Arecaceae which is endemic to the rainforests of north east Queensland, Australia. Like other species in the genus Calamus, this is a climbing plant with a very long and flexible stem. It uses sharp strong hooks on the fronds and tendrils to attach itself to other vegetation, such as taller established trees, thus gaining support that enables it to grow higher towards the canopy. This species is very similar to C. radicalis, with which it coexists, but is smaller in almost all respects.
Phyllanthus microcladus, commonly known as the brush sauropus or small-leaved Phyllanthus, is a plant in the family Phyllanthaceae found in tropical and sub tropical areas of eastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales in Australia. It is listed as endangered in New South Wales, but in Queensland it is assessed as least concern. It occurs by streams in rainforest, from near Grafton northwards to around Cairns.
Prostanthera striatiflora, commonly known as jockey's cap, striated mintbush or striped mintbush, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to the more arid areas of Australia. It is an erect, aromatic shrub with narrow egg-shaped to narrow elliptic leaves and white flowers with purple lines inside the petal tube.
Calamus muelleri, commonly known as southern lawyer cane or wait-a-while, is a climbing palm with a vine-like habit, endemic to the subtropical coastal rainforests of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. Sharp hooks on the plant can snag the clothing of walkers in these forests, giving rise to the name "wait-a-while".
Leptospermum glaucescens, commonly known as the blue-green tea tree or smoky tea tree, is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to Tasmania. It has elliptical to egg-shaped leaves that are often greyish green, white flowers about 15 mm (0.59 in) in diameter arranged in consecutive leaf axils and fruit that remain on the plant for some time after maturity.
Lepidosperma canescens is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to south-east South Australia and Victoria. There are no synonyms.
Swainsona procumbens is a plant in the pea family (Fabaceae) native to Australia and found in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.
Sarcozona praecox, commonly known as sarcozona, is species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small erect to low-lying, succulent shrub with leaves that are triangular in cross-section and arranged in opposite pairs, and daisy-like flowers with twenty to eighty pink, petal-like staminodes and 20 to 150 stamens.
Asteridea athrixioides is a herb in the Asteraceae family, which is endemic to Australia, and found in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria. It was first described in 1853 by Otto Sonder and Ferdinand von Mueller as Panaetia athrixioides, who described it from specimen(s) collected in the Port Lincoln district. In 1980, G. Kroner assigned it to the genus, Asteridea, giving it the name Asteridea athrixioides. It is an annual herb, growing on calcareous, sandy or clay soils to heights of from 5 cm to 20 cm. Its yellow flowers may seen from July to November on saline on allvial flats, rocky hills and undulating plains.
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.
Pomaderris flabellaris, commonly known as fan pomaderris, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a low shrub with fan-shaped leaves, and small clusters of woolly-hairy flowers.
Pomaderris helianthemifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a bushy shrub with hairy young stems, narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and small panicles of hairy yellowish flowers.
Calamus moti is a climbing rainforest plant in the palm family Arecaceae, which is endemic to Queensland. It has a slim flexible stem which does not support the plant, instead it climbs to the forest canopy with the assistance of long tendrils armed with stout recurved hooks.
Olearia hookeri, commonly known as crimsontip daisybush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a sticky shrub with small, narrowly linear leaves and white to bluish-purple and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.
Spyridium phylicoides, commonly known as narrow-leaved spyridium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a low shrub with rigid, linear or lance-shaped leaves, and heads of woolly-hairy flowers.
Pimelea micrantha, commonly known as silky rice-flower is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is a much-branched undershrub with narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped leaves and compact clusters or heads of densely hairy, creamy white flowers.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)