Tarenna dallachiana subsp. dallachiana (F.Muell. ex Benth.) S.Moore

Rubiaceae

Reynolds, S.T. & Forster, P.I. (2005) Austrobaileya 7(1): 35-36.

Tree Ixora

Small tree 2-8 m tall. Seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh. Blaze odour sometimes obnoxious.

Stipules tapering to a point at the apex. Leaf blades about 12-25( -27.5) x 3.7-9 (-10.7) cm, dries blackish or dark brown; both surfaces glabrous or lower surface sparsely hairy on the main nerves. Petiole grooved on the upper surface. Young branchlets and young leaves sparsely hairy or glabrous.

Inflorescence shorter than the leaves. Pedicels 2-5 mm long. Calyx lobes about 0.5 mm long, outside glabrous, inside villous. Corolla tube about 8-12 mm long, 2-3 mm wide at mouth, lobes about 3-4 mm long, glabrous throughout. Anthers about 2.5-3 mm long, attached near the top of the corolla tube, filaments much shorter than the anthers. Style about 8-9 mm long, stigma narrowly clavate, about 4-4.5 mm long.

Fruits globular, about 8-10 mm diam., calyx lobes persistent at the apex. Seeds 4-8 (-12) in each fruit; about 2.5-3 x 2 mm. Testa rugose. Embryo about 1.5 mm long. Cotyledons slightly wider than the radicle.

Cotyledons ovate, about 5-9 mm long. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade ovate, apex acute, base attenuate, upper surface hairy; petiole, stem and terminal bud densely clothed in pale hairs; stipules interpetiolar, triangular, apex acuminate. Seed germination time 26 to 58 days.

Occurs in CYP, NEQ and CEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 800 m. Grows in well developed, lowland and upland rain forest. This species is favoured by disturbance and is a characteristic component of rain forest regrowth. Also occurs in New Guinea.

Chomelia dallachiana (F. Muell. ex Benth.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 1: 278(1891). Ixora dallachiana (F. Muell. ex Benth) F. Muell., Systematic Census of Australian Plants 1: 75(1882). Stylocoryne dallachyana (F. Muell. ex Benth.) Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89: 617(1929). Tarenna dallachiana (F.Muell. ex Benth.) S.Moore, Journal Botany 64: 94(1926). Webera dallachiana Benth., Flora Australiensis 3: 412(1867), Type: Queensland. Albany Island, W. Hill, Rockingham Bay, Dallachy.