Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Abutilon hannii Baker f.


Herb (herbaceous or woody, under 1 m tall)
Shrub (woody or herbaceous, 1-6 m tall)
Click/tap on images to enlarge
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
10th leaf stage. © CSIRO
Cotyledon stage, epigeal germination. © CSIRO
Family

Baker, E.G. (1893) Journal of Botany 31 : 268. Type: Queensland. Cape York Peninsula Exp., W.Hann, 76; holo ?.

Stem

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub about 1-1.5 m tall, however, prostrate forms are also encountered.

Leaves

Leaf blades cordate, about 15 x 11 cm, petioles about as long as the leaf blade. Upper surface of the leaf blade sparsely clothed in stellate hairs, lower surface densely clothed in pale stellate hairs. Stipules linear, filiform, about 5-9 mm long.

Flowers

Pedicels long and slender, about 15-25 mm long, Calyx clothed in short stellate hairs and slightly longer glandular hairs. Calyx about 4-6 mm long, corolla about 8-14 mm long. Staminal filaments fused to form a tube around the ovary and style. Ovary about 10-13-locular, densely clothed in stellate hairs.

Fruit

Fruits about 10-13-lobed, about 8-10 x 7-10 mm, calyx persistent at the base. Outer surface of the fruit clothed in stellate hairs. Seeds reniform, testa surface tuberculate.

Seedlings

Cotyledons orbicular to cordate, about 4-5 x 5-6 mm, petioles much longer than the cotyledons. First pair of leaves orbicular, apex rounded, base cordate, margin toothed with about 7-10 teeth on each side of the leaf blade. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade cordate, both the upper and lower surfaces clothed in short stellate hairs, petiole about as long as the leaf blades. Stipules filiform, about 1-3 mm long. Seed germination time 91 days.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in WA, NT, NEQ and CEQ. Altitudinal range from 260-760 m. Grows as an understory plant in vine thickets and monsoon forest, also found in open forest.

Natural History & Notes

This species may have medicinal properties. (http://squid2.laughingsquid.net/hosts/herbweb.com /herbage/A80.htm)

RFK Code
3518
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