Artabotrys carnosipetalus Jessup

Jessup, L.W. (2007) Flora Australia 2: 447. Type: Queensland, Claudie River, 17 Sept. 1983, B. Gray 3240. Holo: BRI; ISO: QRS.

Can grow into a large tree-top vine, stem diameters to 4 cm recorded.

Leaves distichous tending to be borne in two ranks, one on each side of the twig or branch. Leaf blades about 7-17 x 3.5-6 cm, petioles about 0.4-0.7 cm long. Oil dots very small and scattered, just visible with a lens, more obvious from the upper surface. Tendrils are modified inflorescences and develop as leaf-opposed, simple +/- 2-dimensional recurved, closed, clip-like hooks about 0.7-1.5 cm long.

Flowers about 10 mm diam., emitting a strong odour resembling that of banana custard (?) Flowers produced on flattened hook-like tendrils. Pedicels about 15 mm long. Sepals about 4-5 mm long, recurved, outer surface clothed in appressed hairs. Petals three + three in two whorls, thick and fleshy, about 12-17 mm long, the inner petals fused at their apices forming an arch over the centre of the flower. Stamens numerous, 35-40, anthers sessile, each anther about 2-2.5 x 1 mm. Each anther with a conical cap at the apex. Carpels six, glabrous, about 3 mm long. Ovules two per carpel. Stigmas terminal, sessile.

Fruiting carpels about 33 x 16 mm. Seeds flat on one side, about 20 x 10 mm. Embryo basal, minute, about 1 mm long, radicle and cotyledons each about 0.5 mm long.

Cotyledons ovate, about 43 x 19 mm, apex acuminate. First leaves elliptical, apex acuminate, base attenuate, midrib slightly depressed on the upper surface. Lower leaf blade surface clothed in appressed brownish hairs. Hypocotyl glabrous. Seed germination time 298 days.

Occurs in CYP. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 200 m. Grows in well developed gallery rain forest.

Food plant for the larval stages of the Green Spotted Triangle, Pale Green Triangle and the Green Triangle Butterflies. Sankowsky & Neilsen (2000).