Fingersop | |
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Cairns Botanic Gardens, Jan 2023 | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Magnoliids |
Order: | Magnoliales |
Family: | Annonaceae |
Genus: | Meiogyne |
Species: | M. cylindrocarpa |
Binomial name | |
Meiogyne cylindrocarpa | |
Synonyms [4] | |
Homotypic
Heterotypic
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Meiogyne cylindrocarpa, commonly known as fingersop or native apricot in Australia, is a small tree or shrub in the custard apple family Annonaceae, native to parts of tropical Asia and Australasia.
Meiogyne cylindrocarpa is an evergreen rainforest plant with an open habit. It will grow to 10 m (33 ft) high, and perhaps 20 m (66 ft). [5] The dark green leaves are held on petioles about 1.5 to 3 mm (0.06 to 0.12 in) long, and measure up to 9.6 cm (3.8 in) long by 4.3 cm (1.7 in) wide, with 7 to 13 pairs of secondary veins. [5] [6] They are glossy above and glabrescent (minutely hairy) underneath. [5]
The flowers may be solitary or paired, [5] with six fleshy, triangular petals arranged in two whorls of three. The outer petals measure up to 10 mm (0.39 in) long by 7 mm (0.28 in) wide. [5]
The fruit are elongated and cylindrical in shape. They measure up to 3.3 cm (1.3 in) long and 1.6 cm (0.63 in) diameter, and are initially green, becoming orange or red when ripe, and they contain up to 9 disc-like seeds up to 9 mm diameter. [5] They are edible and sweet and have been compared to a sapodilla with a floral flavour. [7]
This plant was first described in 1909 as Mitrephora cylindrocarpa by the Dutch botanist William Burck, and published in the book Nova Guinea : résultats de l'expédition scientifique néerlandaise à la Nouvelle-Guinée. [8] In 1945 it was transferred to the genus Polyaulax by another Dutch botanist, Cornelis Andries Backer, [9] where it remained until 1994 when it was again transferred to a new genus and given the current combination by E.C.H. van Heusden, also from the Netherlands. [10]
Meiogyne cylindrocarpa is found from Vietnam southwards through Malesia to Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia, and eastwards through the Philippines to the Mariana Islands. It also occurs in New Guinea and Vanuatu. [11] It grows in drier types of rainforest such as monsoon forest, in rocky areas and gullies. [5] [6]
This plant is a host plant for larvae of the pale green triangle butterfly Graphium eurypylus . [5] The fruit are eaten by fruit doves. [12]
This species has been assessed as being of least concern by both the International Union for Conservation of Nature and by the Queensland Government under its Nature Conservation Act. [1]
Fingersop is typically propagated by seeds, taking anywhere from two weeks to six months to germinate. Seedlings of M. c. subsp. cylindrocarpa tend to be smaller, with a bushier form than M. c. subsp. trichocarpa, which is more erect. Trees bear fruit after five to six years, but when grafted, will produce much sooner and develop a smaller, more compact form.[ citation needed ]
The plant is available in Australia and elsewhere from plant nurseries. [7]
Pleiogynium timoriense, commonly known as the Burdekin plum, sweet plum, tulip plum, or in the Djabugay language guybalum, is a medium-sized fruit-bearing tree in the cashew and mango family Anacardiaceae native to Malesia, Australia and the Pacific Islands.
Meiogyne is a genus of flowering plants with 38 species belonging to the family Annonaceae. It is native from southwestern India and Indochina to Australia, including Fiji and New Caledonia. The type species is Meiogyne virgata.
Dendrobium trilamellatum, commonly known as the fragrant tea tree orchid or large tea tree orchid, is a species of epiphytic orchid found in northern Australia and New Guinea. It has spindle-shaped pseudobulbs, between three and seven leathery, dark green leaves and between three and fifteen yellow, yellowish brown or brown flowers with a mauve to purple labellum.
Didymocheton pettigrewianus, commonly known as spur mahogany, spurwood, or Cairns satinwood, is a large tree in the family Meliaceae. It is native to the rainforests of Malesia, Papuasia and Queensland. In Queensland it occurs only in a small part of the northeast coast.
Rhysotoechia is a genus of plants in the soapberry family Sapindaceae which is native to parts of Malesia and Australia.
Goniocheton arborescens, commonly known in Australia as Mossman mahogany, is a small tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is native to rainforests of Malesia, Papuasia, Queensland and nearby islands.
Didymocheton gaudichaudianus, commonly known as ivory mahogany, is a species of rainforest tree in the family Meliaceae, native to Malesia, Papuasia, Queensland, and some southwest Pacific islands.
Syzygium forte, commonly known as flaky-barked satinash, white apple or brown satinash, is a tree in the family Myrtaceae native to New Guinea and northern Australia.
Mucuna gigantea, commonly known as burny bean, burney bean, velvet bean or sea bean is a species of liana from the legume family Fabaceae. Its natural range roughly follows the perimeter of the Indian Ocean and includes Africa, India, Malesia, New Guinea and northern Australia. Many parts of the plant - in particular the new growth, flowers and fruit - are covered in fine irritant hairs.
Pseuduvaria macrocarpa is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to The Maluku Islands and New Guinea. William Burck, the Dutch botanist who first formally described the species using the synonym Meiogyne macrocarpa, named it after its large fruit.
Syzygium unipunctatum, commonly known as the rolypoly satinash, is a small tree in the family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to the rainforests of the Wet Tropics of Queensland.
Harpullia ramiflora, commonly known as the Claudie tulipwood or Cape York tulipwood, is a tree in the Sapindaceae family native to north east Queensland, New Guinea and parts of Malesia.
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.
Alstonia muelleriana is a tree in the dogbane family Apocynaceae which is native to southern Papua New Guinea and northeastern Queensland.
Meiogyne hirsuta is a plant in the family Annonaceae endemic to the Wet Tropics of Queensland in Australia. It is known from only a small number of collections from three widely separated locations in the Wet Tropics, namely Cedar Bay near Cooktown, the lower reaches of Mossman Gorge, and the foothills of the southern Atherton Tablelands in the vicinity of the North Johnstone River.
Cleistanthus apodus, commonly known as the weeping Cleistanthus, is a tree in the family Phyllanthaceae native to New Guinea and northeast Queensland. It was first described in 1873 by the English botanist George Bentham in his seven-volume book Flora Australiensis.
Sterculia shillinglawii, commonly known as tulip sterculia or lacewood, is a tree in the cotton and cocoa family Malvaceae, native to Papuasia and northeastern Australia.
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.
Xanthophyllum fragrans, commonly known as fragrant boxwood, is an evergreen plant in the family Polygalaceae found only in the Wet Tropics bioregion of Queensland, Australia.
Lepiderema sericolignis, commonly known as silkwood, is a plant in the maple and lychee family Sapindaceae found only in the Wet Tropics bioregion of Queensland, Australia.