Boea hygroscopica F.Muell.

Gesneriaceae

Mueller, F.J.H. von (1864) Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 4(27): 146. Type: In locis umbrosis humidis montium altiorum ad Rockingham Bay Elaeagno latifolio adsociata. Dallachy.

Rock Violet; Violet, rock

Resurrection plant. Stem decumbent, 1-6 cm long, clothed in remains of leaf bases, covered in long brownish hairs.

Leaf blades 50-200 x 25-140 mm, petioles 25-90 mm long. Lateral veins 7-9 on each side of the midrib. Leaf surfaces quilted, densely clothed in hairs, lamina base markedly asymmetrical; petioles covered in very dense long hairs.

Peduncles 85-90 mm long. Pedicels 12-15 mm long. Flowers 20-22 mm diam. Sepals 3-3.5 mm long. Petals dimorphic, the larger two ca. 10 x 8 mm forming a labellum, the other three ca. 10 x 5 mm, corolla tube ca. half the length of the petals. Staminodes very small, ca. 1 mm long. Anthers ca. 3 mm diam., filaments strap-like, ca. 5 mm long. Pollen cream. Ovary ca. 4 mm long. Style + stigma ca. 6 mm long, stigma densely papillate. Ovules numerous.

Fruits twisted, 20-40 x 0.8-1.4 mm, calyx lobes persistent at the base. Seeds very numerous in each fruit. Seeds orange, 0.5-0.75 x 0.2 mm long. Testa trebaculate. Embryo tiny.

Features not available.

Occurs in CYP, NEQ and CEQ. Altitudinal range from 60-900 m. Grows along creek beds, on moist banks and moss-covered rocks in rainforest, open forest, vine forest and gallery forest.

Boea hygroscopica F.Muell. var. hygroscopica, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 1154(1921). Boea hygroscopica var. bellendenkerensis Domin, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 1154(1921), Type: Am Fusse des Bellenden-Ker, auf Felsblocken in einem Bache (DOMIN XII. 1909). Boea hygroscopica var. typica Domin, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 1154(1921).