Mitrella tiwiensis Jessup & Bygrave

Jessup, L.W. & Bygrave, P.C. (2007) Flora of Australia 2: 447, Type: Bathurst Island, 23 km E Rocky Point, N.T., 11°28'S, 130°21'E, 11 Dec. 1991, J.Russell-Smith 8573 & J.Brock; holo: BRI; iso: DNA, K, L, MO n.v.

Liana, or scrambling shrub; young branches and shoots with appressed, copper-coloured or white hairs.

Leaves with petioles 3-10 mm long, channelled above, with appressed, copper-coloured or white hairs; lamina lanceolate, elliptic to narrowly elliptic or ovate, (4) 6-21 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, base cuneate to rounded, apex acute to caudate, discolorous, oil glands present, upper surface green and glabrescent, lower surface glaucous and with appressed, copper-coloured or rarely white hairs which are most dense on the midrib.

Inflorescence solitary, axillary, pedicels 4-6 mm long, flowers faintly scented. Sepals 3, connate, broadly triangular, ca. 3.5 mm long, ca. 3 mm wide. Petals 6, pinkish-orange ; petals of outer whorl free to base, lanceolate, ca. 40 mm long, ca. 10 mm wide, with appressed, copper-coloured hairs; petals of inner whorl thick and somewhat fleshy, concave, ca. 8 mm long, ca. 4 mm wide, the apex hooded, mucronate and sparsely hairy, valvate at margins and forming a triquetrous dome around stamens and carpels. Stamens many, ca. 1.5 mm long, filaments short and thick with anther cells borne on thick connective overtopped by enlarged appendage. Carpels free, 9-15, stigma spreading and shortly exserted above stamens; ovules ca. 2 or 3.

Fruit globular to ellipsoid, 10.5-13 mm long, 6.5-9.5 mm wide, pinkish-orange; stipes ca. 5 mm long. Seeds 2 or 3 per carpel, brown and discoidal, ca. 8 mm long, ca. 6 mm wide.

Features not available.

Endemic to Australia, occurs in NT where it is only known from the Bathurst and Melville Islands. Grows in wet spring-fed rain forest.

Description from Flora of the Darwin Region (Kerrigan et al 2011).

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