Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Derris sp. Daintree (D.E.Boyland 469)


Slender Vine
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Flowers. © G. Sankowsky
Flowers. © G. Sankowsky
Fruit. © G. Sankowsky
Leaves. © G. Sankowsky
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
Family

Provisional HISPID phrase name.

Stem

A slender vine not exceeding a stem diameter of 2 cm.

Leaves

Leaflet blades about 6-13.5 x 2-4 cm, leaflet stalks about 0.4-0.5 cm long. Underside of the leaflet blades somewhat glaucous and sparsely clothed in small prostrate hairs. Numerous pale-coloured lenticels visible on the older twigs. Stipules narrowly triangular, about 4-5 mm long and clothed in rusty hairs.

Flowers

Flower stalks about 1.5-2 mm long, but the flowers are technically sessile with two bracts at the base of the calyx. Bracts about 1 mm long. Calyx bell-shaped except for the apex which is slightly constricted and incurved. Calyx lobes rather small and inconspicuous. Petals clawed (stalked) about 9 mm long. Stamens 10, the filaments of nine stamens fused to form a tube open on one side. One stamen free from the tube, at least at the base. Free part of the filaments alternately long and short. Ovary sessile or shortly stalked, gradually tapering into the style. Ovary clothed in prostrate hairs. Stigma +/- globular. Ovules about eight.

Fruit

Fruits about 5.5-7 x 1.9-2.3 cm, densely clothed in short, reddish brown, +/- appressed hairs. Fruit +/- winged on one margin. Seeds reniform, about 8 x 6 mm. Radicle about 1.5 mm long, oblique to the cotyledons and much shorter than the cotyledons.

Seedlings

Features not available.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to NEQ. Altitudinal range from sea level to 100 m. Grows in gallery forest and lowland rain forest.

RFK Code
2546
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