| Laurel-leaf hypserpa | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Menispermaceae |
| Genus: | Hypserpa |
| Species: | H. laurina |
| Binomial name | |
| Hypserpa laurina | |
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| Synonyms [3] | |
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Hypserpa laurina is a slender twining climber in the plant family Menispermaceae. It is native to New Guinea and northeastern Queensland in Australia.
This species is a small vine with a maximum recorded stem diameter of 10 cm (3.9 in). [4] It has pendulous branches and the leaves are alternate, 3-veined, elliptic, and measure up to 20 by 7.5 cm (7.9 by 3.0 in) [4] [5]
Flowers are pale yellow in colour, male flowers measure about 5 mm (0.20 in) diameter, female flowers about 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) diameter. [4]
The fruit is a red globular drupe measuring about 15 by 14 mm (0.6 by 0.6 in) [4] [5]
Flowering occurs from July to February, fruits ripen from November to April. [5] [6]
This plant was first described in 1864 as Selwynia laurina by the German-born Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller, who published the name in his book Fragmenta phytographiæ Australiæ . [7] [8] In 1910 the German botanist Ludwig Diels reviewed the genus and gave this taxon the new combination Hypserpa laurina, which was published in Adolf Engler's work Das Pflanzenreich: Regni vegetabilis conspectus. [9]
The genus name Hypserpa is derived from a combination of the Ancient Greek words hypsos , "high", and herpo , "to creep", and refers to the habit of this plant reaching the forest canopy. The species epithet laurina refers to the similarity of the leaves to those of plants in the family Lauraceae. [6]
Hypserpa laurina grows in rainforest on the east coast of northern Australia, from Airlie Beach in north Queensland, northwards to Cape York Peninsula and then to New Guinea. It can be found at altitudes from sea level to about 1000 m. [4] [10]
Fruits of the laurel-leaf hypserpa are eaten by cassowaries and fruit pigeons. [4]
This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern. [1] As of 21 November 2022 [update] , it has not been assessed by the IUCN.
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Palmeria scandens, commonly known as anchor vine or pomegranate vine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Monimiaceae and is native to Queensland, New South Wales and New Guinea. It is a woody vine with elliptic to oblong leaves and male and female flowers borne on separate plants, male flowers usually with thirty to forty stamens and female flowers with about ten carpels. The fruit is green, splitting to form a pinkish receptacle with 3 to 7 black or red drupes.
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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.
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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.
Alpinia arctiflora, commonly known as the pleated ginger, is a plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae which is endemic to northeastern Queensland.
Benstonea monticola, commonly known as scrub breadfruit or urchin-fruited pandan, is a plant in the family Pandanaceae which is endemic to rainforested parts of north east Queensland, Australia.
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 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.
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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.
Buchanania mangoides, commonly known as plum tree, is a plant in the mango and cashew family Anacardiaceae native to Queensland, Australia. It was first described in 1869.
Cupaniopsis foveolata, commonly known as narrow-leaved tuckeroo, white tamarind or toothed tuckeroo, is a plant in the maple and lychee family Sapindaceae found in eastern Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.
