Austrosteenisia stipularis (C.T.White) Jessup

Fabaceae

Jessup, L.W. (1986) Austrobaileya 2(3): 243.

Northern blood vine; Vine, northern blood

Vine stem diameters to 18 cm recorded. Bark exudate slow and rather viscous. Numerous red lines visible in the blaze.

Leaflet blades about 1.5-5.5 x 0.7-2.8 cm, upper and lower surfaces clothed in prostrate pale hairs, leaflet stalks about 0.2-0.4 cm long. About 13-15 leaflets per compound leaf. Stipules hairy, caducous, +/- peltate, about 10 mm long. Young shoots, terminal buds, compound leaf rhachis and petiole densely clothed in pale brown hairs. Compound leaf rhachis with a ridge and two grooves on the upper surface. 'Stalk' of the terminal leaflet much longer than those of the lateral leaflets. Stipels absent.

Flowers borne in massive inflorescences consisting of large numbers of raceme-like structures with a pair of flowers on a common peduncle about 5-7 mm long, pedicels about 4-5 mm long. Flowers about 10 x 10 mm. Calyx maroon in colour, tube about 4 mm long, lobes about 1 mm long. Petals: standard about 11 mm long, white or cream except for the maroon centre; wings slightly longer than the calyx, much shorter than the keel, keel about 8-9 mm long. Stamens 10, the filaments of nine stamens fused to form a tube open along one side. One stamen free. Staminal tube about 6 mm long, free part of the filaments about 2-3 mm long, alternately long and short. Ovary + style about 10 mm long, ovary densely hairy on the outer surface. Ovules ten. Disk about 1 mm high, the apex toothed.

Fruits flattened, about 5.5-10 x 1.6-2 cm, calyx lobes persistent at the base. Seeds about 6-7 mm long. Embryo about 6-7 mm long. Cotyledons about 6-7 mm long, wider than the radicle which is about 2 mm long.

Features not available.

Endemic to NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1100 m. Grows in well developed lowland and upland rain forest.

A very showy climber that produces masses of pink wisteria-like flowers.

Kunstleria stipularis (C.T.White) Polhill, Kew Bulletin 25(3): 265(1971). Lonchocarpus stipularis C.T.White, Contributions from the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University 4: 45(1933), Type: Queensland, Lake Barrine, Atherton Tableland, alt. 500 m., common in rain-forest, n. 1348 (flowering specimens), Nov. 8 ..