| Rhaphidophora petrieana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In rainforest at Josephine Falls | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Araceae |
| Genus: | Rhaphidophora |
| Species: | R. petrieana |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhaphidophora petrieana | |
Rhaphidophora petrieana is a plant in the arum family Araceae that is only found in the Wet Tropics bioregion of northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Rhaphidophora petrieana is a semi-epiphytic, robust, herbaceous, root climber reaching about 20 m (66 ft) tall. The mid-green leaves are narrowly ovate to elliptic and measure up to 18 cm (7.1 in) long by 6 cm (2.4 in) wide. The inflorescence is a spadix about 6 cm (2.4 in) long, enclosed in a spathe about 8 cm (3.1 in) long. [4] [5] [6]
This species was first described in 1993 by the Australian botanist Alistair Hay, and published in the journal Telopea. [6] The type specimen was collected by Bruce Gray in 1982 from a National Park reserve west of Innisfail. [2]
Rhaphidophora petrieana occurs in rainforest from Cape Tribulation south to about Innisfail, at altitudes from sea level to about 800 m (2,600 ft). There has also been isolated collections from near Lockhart River, about 200 km (120 mi) north of Cape Tribulation. [4] [5] [7]
This species is listed by the Queensland Government's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation as least concern. [1] As of 2 April 2024 [update] , it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
