Psychotria loniceroides | |
---|---|
leaves of Psychotria loniceroides | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Rubiaceae |
Genus: | Psychotria |
Species: | P. loniceroides |
Binomial name | |
Psychotria loniceroides | |
Psychotria loniceroides, the hairy psychotria, is a plant native to the forest areas of eastern Australia.
The habitat is the ecotone on the edge of rainforest and eucalyptus forests. It is also found in the understorey of various types of rainforests.
The natural range of distribution is from the Bega in south eastern New South Wales to Bamaga, in far north eastern Queensland. The scientific name refers to the healing qualities of some members of the genus Psychotria . Psyche meaning life. And loniceroides suggests the leaves are similar to the honey-suckle plant, Lonicera .
A shrub or a small tree, up to 5 metres in height and a stem diameter of 10 cm. The trunk is crooked with various bumps, the base of the trunk is not buttressed. Bark dark brown, fairly smooth but with wrinkles. Branchlets hairy and relatively thick.
Leaves opposite on the stem, egg shaped, though sometimes oblong or elliptical, with an abrupt short tip. Leaves 6 to 10 cm long, 1.5 to 5 cm wide. Leaf stalk 5 to 15 mm long. Leaves softly hairy. A mid to light green above, a paler green below. Leaf veins hairy, veins prominently raised below the leaf.
Clusters of white flowers form on a loose branching head from December to March. Fruit matures from February to September, being a yellow or creamy drupe, 6 mm in diameter. Inside is a single oval shaped and ribbed seed.
Fruit eaten by the green catbird. Regeneration from fresh seed is slow, starting after around four months. After five months, a success rate of around 64% may be expected. Cuttings are not particularly successful. The fruit is reported to be edible to humans although they taste very bad when unripe and can irritate the throat. [1]
Beilschmiedia elliptica, known as the grey walnut is a rainforest laurel growing in eastern Australia. The range of natural distribution is from Forster, New South Wales to Fraser Island in south eastern Queensland. Beilschmiedia elliptica grows in warm temperate and sub tropical rainforests. Not a rare species, but seldom identified in the rainforest.
Brachychiton discolor is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It grows in drier rainforest areas. Scattered from Paterson, New South Wales to Mackay, Queensland. There is also an isolated community of these trees at Cape York Peninsula.
Auranticarpa rhombifolia is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Known as the diamond leaf pittosporum, this tree is planted in many parts of Australia as an ornamental. The white flowers and orange fruit make it a most appealing street or garden tree. Other common names include hollywood, diamond leaf laurel, white myrtle and white holly.
Macaranga tanarius is a plant found in South East Asia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and eastern Australia. It is commonly seen as a pioneer species in disturbed rainforest areas. Easily recognised for the round veiny leaves. In Australia it naturally occurs from the Richmond River, New South Wales to Cooktown in tropical Queensland.
Endiandra pubens is a rainforest tree growing in eastern Australia. The habitat is subtropical rainforest growing near streams in valleys. The range of natural distribution is from the Bellinger River, New South Wales to Bulburin National Park, south west of Gladstone, Queensland.
Backhousia subargentea is a rare Australian rainforest tree, growing near Mullumbimby in north eastern New South Wales and from Boonah to Imbil in south eastern Queensland.
Claoxylon australe, known as brittlewood is a common rainforest shrub or understorey tree. The habitat is all types of eastern Australian rainforests. The natural range of distribution is from Eden in south eastern New South Wales to Bowen in tropical Queensland.
Croton verreauxii known as the green native cascarilla is a small tree or shrub growing in dry rainforest and rainforest margins in eastern Australia.
Endiandra discolor is an Australian tree, growing from near Gosford, New South Wales to Tully, Queensland in the tropics. Common names include rose walnut and domatia tree.
Endiandra virens is an Australian tree in the laurel family. Growing from Boorganna Nature Reserve north west of Taree, New South Wales to Kin Kin in Southern Queensland. Common names include White Apple, Plumwood, and New South Wales Walnut.
Elattostachys nervosa, known as the green tamarind or beetroot tree is a common rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Found in all types of rainforest, growing from Paterson, New South Wales in the south to Gympie in south east Queensland. The name Elattostachys refers to "little spikes", a flower feature of other plants in this genus. Nervosa refers to the prominent leaf venation. Beetroot Tree refers to the beetroot red leaves of the new growth.
Cryptocarya bidwillii, the yellow laurel, is a small to medium-sized tree in the laurel family. Occurring in Australian rainforests from Nymboida in the state of New South Wales to Townsville in tropical Queensland. Often found in the dryer ridges in dry rainforest or in viney scrubs.
Bridelia exaltata, known as the brush ironbark or scrub ironbark, is a tree of eastern Australia. It occurs in and on the margins of the drier rainforests. Also occurring by streams, often in association with the Black Bean, up to an elevation of 600 metres above sea level. It occurs from Seal Rocks, New South Wales to Maryborough, Queensland.
Capparis arborea is a bush or small tree occurring in eastern Australia. The habitat is rainforest; usually riverine, littoral or the drier rainforests. Distributed from the Hunter River, New South Wales to Cape Melville in tropical Queensland. Common names include native pomegranate, wild lime, wild lemon and brush caper berry.
Sarcopteryx stipata, known as the steelwood, is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia occurring from the Bulga Plateau and Comboyne Plateau north west of Taree, New South Wales as far north as Fraser Island off the coast of south eastern Queensland. It grows in sub tropical rainforest but sometimes occurs in warm temperate rainforests on poorer soils. It is a member of the soap berry family. The generic name Sarcopteryx translates to "fleshy wing", as the fruit can be wing shaped. Stipata means "surrounded". The common name steelwood refers to the very tough, hard and heavy timber.
Endiandra hayesii is an Australian rainforest tree. Despite the common name of rusty rose walnut, this tree is unrelated to northern hemisphere walnuts, and is a laurel. The former habitat is lowland sub tropical rainforest, most of which has been cleared. However some trees persist in cool sheltered gullies as far south as the Richmond River, New South Wales to just over the border at Burleigh Heads in Queensland. The rusty rose walnut is considered rare, with a ROTAP rating of 3RC-. It is named after H.C. Hayes, who collected this species at Minyon Falls.
Endiandra muelleri is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Its habitat is in warm temperate rainforests on poorer soils. Distributed from the Allyn River in the Barrington Tops region in the south to Kroombit Tops to the north in central Queensland.
Arytera distylis, known as the two-leaved coogera or twin-leaved coogera is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It grows by streams or in sea side rainforests. It occurs from the Orara River in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, extending up to Maryborough in south east Queensland.
Alangium villosum subsp. polyosmoides is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It occurs on a variety of different soils and rainforests, relatively close to the coast. Found from Minmi near Newcastle to as far north as the McIlwraith Range in far north eastern Australia. It may be seen as a common understorey plant at Wingham Brush Nature Reserve.
Elattostachys xylocarpa, known as the white tamarind or short-leaf beetroot is a common rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Found in the drier rainforests, which are based on volcanic soils. From as far south as the Orara River in northern New South Wales to Bowen in tropical Queensland. The name Elattostachys refers to "little spikes", a flower feature of other plants in this genus. xylocarpa refers to the hard woody fruit.