Parsonsia wongabelensis J.B.Williams

Williams, J.B. (1996) Flora Australia 28: 318. Type: Wongabel State Forest, 6 km from Atherton, 7 Jan 1987, B. Gray 4397; holo: QRS.

Arrowhead Vine; Nephthytis; African Evergreen; Vine, Arrowhead; Evergreen, African

Vine stem diameters to 8 cm recorded. Bark exudate watery brown or honey-coloured. When stem sections are viewed with a lens short, straight or curved tangentially elongated segments of bark can be seen included in the wood.

Twigs and petioles produce a clear exudate. Leaf blades about 8.5-16 x 4.5-11 cm, petioles about 1-6 cm long. Underside of the leaf blade, twigs and petioles clothed in dull brown hairs. Hairy stipule-like glands about 2 mm long visible on the twigs between the petiole bases and in the leaf axils. 'Oil dots' small, just visible with a lens.

Inflorescence about 12 cm long. Flowers about 4 mm diam., pedicels about 4 mm long. Calyx lobes about 2-2.5 mm long. Corolla tube about 1.5-2 mm long, lobes narrow, about 3-4 mm long. Anthers about 2.5 mm long, filaments about 1-2 mm long. Anthers fused together to form a cone around the style. Pollen white. Disk 5-lobed, surrounding the ovary. Ovary about 1 mm long.

Fruits about 20-22 x 1.5-1.7 cm, densely clothed in short, contorted hairs. Seeds numerous, about 12-15 mm long. Plumes about 40-45 mm long. Embryo about 8 mm long, cotyledons about 5.5-6 mm long. Radicle about 2.5-4 mm long.

Cotyledons ovate-elliptic, about 21-24 x 12-14 mm, apex bluntly pointed. Petioles clothed in hairs. First leaves ovate-elliptic, both the upper and lower surfaces clothed in hairs, apex acute, base obtuse. About 8 stipule-like glands present on the stems between the bases of the petioles. Seed germination time 19 days.

Endemic to NEQ, known only from collections made in the Wongabel area south of Atherton, and in Danbulla State Forest. Altitudinal range not known, all collections to date were at an altitude of about 750-760 m. Grows in upland rain forest on soils derived from vesicular basalt.