| Meiogyne hirsuta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Habit | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Magnoliales |
| Family: | Annonaceae |
| Genus: | Meiogyne |
| Species: | M. hirsuta |
| Binomial name | |
| Meiogyne hirsuta | |
| Synonyms [3] | |
| |
Meiogyne hirsuta is a plant in the custard apple family Annonaceae endemic to the Wet Tropics bioregion of Queensland, Australia. It is known from only a small number of collections from three widely separated locations.
Meiogyne hirsuta is a shrub up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) tall, the twigs and small branches covered with fine soft hairs. Leaves are arranged alternately, on short petioles about 2–3 mm (0.08–0.12 in) long. They are lanceolate to oblanceolate and slight asymmetric at the base. They measure up to 14 cm (5.5 in) long by 5 cm (2.0 in) wide, with 13–16 pairs of lateral veins either side of the midrib. [4] [5] [6] [7]
The flowers are solitary, borne in the leaf axils on pedicels (stems) up to 4 mm (0.16 in) long. The sepals are green, broadly ovate and about 5 mm (0.20 in) long and wide. The petals are pale yellow and finely hairy; there are two whorls of three petals each, the outer whorl slightly shorter at about 40 mm (1.6 in) long, the inner whorl about 48 mm (1.9 in) long and tinged purple at the base. There are 45–60 stamens up to 2 mm (0.08 in) long, and 5–16 carpels. The plant may flower when only 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) high; the flowers emit an unpleasant odour. [4] [5] [6] [7]
The fruit is an aggregate fruit of botanical berries — in other words, it appears as a cluster of individual fruitlets, each of which has developed from one of the carpels in the flower. The fruitlets are orange and hairy, measure about 3.8 cm (1.5 in) long by 1.4 cm (0.55 in) wide, and contain up to five brown seeds about 9 mm (0.35 in) long. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Flowering occurs in November and December, fruit appear from January to March. [6] [7]
This species was first described in 1989 as Ancana hirsuta by the Australian botanist Laurence W. Jessup, based on material collected from all three localities where it is known to exist. In his paper, titled "The genus Ancana F.Muell. (Annonaceae) in Australia", Jessup noted that the distinctions between this genus and a number of others in the family are unclear, and in 2004 he formally transferred the species to its current placement in the genus Meiogyne. [4] [6]
The designated type specimen was collected at Henrietta Creek in the Wooroonooran National Park. [4]
The genus name Meiogyne is from the Ancient Greek meíōn 'smaller', combined with gyne 'female'. It is a reference to the small number of carpels in the flowers. [6] [7]
This plant occurs in three widely separated locations, the most northerly is the Cedar Bay area near Cooktown. The next occurrence is about 95 km (59 mi) directly south, in the lower reaches of Mossman Gorge. The last occurrence is another 135 km (84 mi) SSE, in the foothills of the southern Atherton Tableland in the vicinity of the North Johnstone River. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
It grows as an understorey plant in well-developed rainforest (complex mesophyll vine forest) [lower-alpha 1] , at altitudes from near sea level to about 300 m (980 ft). [5] [6] Its area of occupancy (AOO) [lower-alpha 2] is just 44 km2 (17 sq mi). [9]
This plant serves as a host plant for the green-spotted triangle butterfly, Graphium agamemnon . [5]
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.
Helicia australasica, also known as Austral oak or creek silky oak, is a species of rainforest tree in the macadamia family Proteaceae, native to New Guinea and northern and northeastern Australia.
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.
Wilkiea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Monimiaceae, and is native to Australia and New Guinea. Plants in this genus are monoecious or sometimes dioecious trees and shrubs, the leaves with many fine oil dots, male and female flowers in cymes or panicles, and oval black drupes.
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.
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.
Pseuduvaria froggattii is a rare species of tree which is restricted to a very small part of northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is a member of the custard apple and soursop family Annonaceae, and was first described in 1887. Despite the small range its status considered to be least concern.
Pseuduvaria glabrescens is a small tree in the custard apple family Annonaceae endemic to a very small part of coastal Queensland, Australia. It was first described as a variety of Pseuduvaria mulgraveana, and later raised to species status.
Pseuduvaria hylandii is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to Australia. L.W. Jessup, the botanists who first formally described the species, named it after Bernard Hyland an Australian botanist who collected the specimen he examined.
Myristica insipida, commonly known in Australia as Australian nutmeg, Queensland nutmeg or native nutmeg, is a small rainforest tree in the family Myristicaceae native to parts of Malesia, Papuasia and Australia. It is closely related to the commercially-important species of nutmeg, M. fragrans.
Pseuduvaria mulgraveana is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae endemic to Queensland, Australia. L.W. Jessup, the botanist who first formally described the species, named it after the Mulgrave River, where the specimen he examined was collected.
Mackinlaya macrosciadea, commonly known as mackinlaya or blue umbrella, is a plant in the carrot, fennel and parsley family Apiaceae, found in the Northern Territory and Queensland, Australia.
Ormosia ormondii, commonly known as yellow bean, is a tree in the legume family Fabaceae which is endemic to northeastern Queensland, Australia.
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).
Polyosma hirsuta, commonly known as hairy polyosma, is a plant in the family Escalloniaceae which is endemic to northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is an evergreen small tree growing up to 10 m (33 ft) high. The leaves may be 6 to 14 cm long and 2 to 5 cm wide, often with toothed margins and each tooth exhibiting a short stiff spine. Most parts of the plant, including the twigs, leaves and fruit, are clothed in fine pale brown hairs.
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.
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.
Larsenaikia ochreata, commonly known as Wenlock gardenia, scented Gardenia bush or wild Gardenia, is a plant in the coffee family Rubiaceae endemic to Queensland, Australia.
Mitrephora diversifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Annonaceae and is native to Queensland, Ambon Island and New Guinea. It is a tree with egg-shaped leaves, the flowers with cream-coloured and mauve-pink petals, 70 to 85 stamens and 10 to 14 carpels. The fruit is egg-shaped containing up to 8 seeds.
Monoon michaelii is a plant in the custard apple family Annonaceae found only in a very small part of the Wet Tropics bioregion of Queensland, Australia. It was originally described as Polyalthia michaelii in 1915 and transferred to its current name in 2012.
