Cayratia cardiophylla Jackes

Jackes, B.R. (1987) Austrobaileya 2(4): 371. Type: Annan River, upstream growing at river edge over Hibiscus, 10 Dec 1978, Duke (holo: BRI; iso: CANB, NSW, PERTH, QRS, JCT).

Vine, Large-Leaved Water; Large-Leaved Water Vine

Vine stem diameters to 4 cm recorded. Blaze marked by white granular and darker fibrous stripes. Stem vascular rays extend into the bark. Stems soft, very easy to cut or break.

Leaflet blades about 9-17 x 7-17 cm, lateral leaflet stalks about 1-2 cm long. Stalk of the middle leaflet longer (2.3-4 cm) than those of the lateral leaflets. Lateral veins about 6 or 7 on each side of the midrib. Leaflet blade margins with about 20 teeth on each side. Stipules about 1-5 mm long, up to 4 mm wide at the base. Twigs rather pithy showing an oak grain in transverse section. Tendrils two-branched, leaf-opposed.

Inflorescences leaf-opposed. Flowers about 5-7 mm diam. Calyx tube minutely 4-lobed. Petals about 2.5-3 mm long. Stamens about 2 mm long, filaments flared at the base. Disk completely surrounding the ovary and raised above the ovary. Ovules two per locule.

Fruits white or brown at maturity, globular or depressed globular, about 10-13 x 10-15 mm. Seeds 2-4 per fruit, each seed about 4-6 x 3-4 mm shaped like an orange segment. Embryo straight, about 1 mm long. Cotyledons shorter than or about as long as the radicle.

Cotyledons cordate to orbicular, about 20-28 x 20-27 mm. Both the upper and lower surfaces clothed in short translucent hairs. First pair of leaves compound, each leaf with two or three hairy leaflets. Leaflet blade margins toothed or lobed. At the tenth leaf stage: leaflet blades hairy on both the upper and lower surfaces, lateral leaflets narrowly ovate, base oblique. Stalk of the middle leaflet slightly longer than those of the lateral leaflets. Leaflet margins conspicuously toothed with about 10 teeth on each side. Tendrils branched and leaf-opposed. Stipules about 4 mm long, green and hairy. Seed germination time 33 to 39 days.

Endemic to Australia, occurs in WA, CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 650 m. Grows in vine thicket, beach forest, monsoon forest and some of the drier more seasonal types of rain forest.