Premna limbata Benth.

Bentham, G. (1870) Flora Australiensis 5: 59. Type: Rockingham Bay, Dallachy. [given by A.A.Munir, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 7 (1984) 14 as Dallachy s.n., Rockingham Bay, Herbert River.

Vine stem diameters to 25 cm recorded. Outer bark pale brown. Narrow, pale brown, orange or yellowish hard, brittle stripes visible in the blaze. Dead bark layered showing growth rings in transverse section.

Leaf blades about 7-16 x 4.5-11 cm, petioles about 2.5-6 cm long. Leaf hairs, short, small and inconspicuous. Backward-pointing branches assist in climbing. Raised ridges resembling stipular scars extend across the twigs between the petiole bases. Numerous pale-coloured lenticels also present on the twigs.

Flowers about 3 mm diam. Calyx cup-shaped, about 2.5-3 mm long, calyx lobes not apparent. Corolla about 5 mm long, tube about 2.5 mm long, lobes about 2-2.5 mm long. Throat of the corolla clothed in hairs at the same level as the stamens are attached. Staminal filaments about 4.25 mm long, anthers about 0.7-1 mm long. Ovary 1-1.2 mm long. Style about 4.5 mm long.

Fruits globular, about 3-5 mm diam.(?), calyx lobes persistent at the base.

At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade about 10.5 x 5.5 cm, petiole about 6-6.5 cm long.

Occurs in CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 700 m. Grows in gallery forest, lowland and upland rain forest. Probably occurs in New Guinea and other parts of Malesia. Munir (1984a) considers the name Premna limbata Benth. to be a synonym of P. serratifolia L. but we have used the name P. limbata Benth. and applied it to a large tree-top vine. We have restricted the use of the name P. serratifolia L. to distinguish the small tree or shrub usually found on beaches or on the margins of monsoon forest or lowland rain forest.