Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition
Parapachygone longifolia (F.M.Bailey) Forman
Forman, L.L. (2007) Flora of Australia 2: 462.
Vine stem diameters to 3 cm recorded and this species may not grow much larger. Bark minutely tessellated.
Leaf blades rather thick and leathery, about 11-26 x 3-12 cm, petioles about 2-5.5 cm long, attached just inside the leaf blade margin, i.e. just peltate or almost peltate.
Male flowers borne in large axillary panicles, individual flowers about 4 mm diam. Sepals imbricate, in 2 or 3 whorls, the outer sepals bract-like and about 1.5 mm long, the innermost sepals petal-like, about 3.5 mm long. Petals thick and fleshy, obovate, about 1.5 mm long. Stamens 12, about 2.1 mm long, clavate, anthers 4-celled. Female flowers: flowers about 5 mm diam. Sepals imbricate, in 3 or 4 whorls, the outermost sepals bract-like, about 1.1 mm long, the innermost cup-like and 4 mm long. Petals rather thick, about 2 mm long. Carpels 4, each carpel about 1.8 mm long. Stigmatic surface broad, disk-like and undulate. Ovules 1 per carpel.
Fruits laterally compressed, sessile, about 35-40 x 28-35 mm. Style remnant close to the base or point of attachment of the fruiting carpel. Seeds (endocarps) shell-shaped (nautilus) about 22-27 x 18-24 mm. Surface sculptured. Embryo U-shaped. Cotyledons thick and fleshy almost forming a loop. Radicle about 2 mm long.
Six or more cataphylls produced before the first pair of true leaves. First pair of true leaves ovate, about 40-63 x 15-18 mm, apex acuminate, base cordate to auriculate. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade ovate to elliptic, about 12-17.5 x 4.5-7 cm, apex shortly acuminate, base cordate to auriculate, almost peltate. Petiole about 2-2.5 cm long. Lateral veins forming indistinct loops inside the blade margin. Petiole base pustulate, pulvini pustulate. Midrib +/- flush with the upper surface. Seed germination time 32 to 97 days.