Desmos polycarpus Jessup

Jessup, L.W. (2007) Flora of Australia 2: 447. Type: Queensland, Cultivated at Indooroopilly, (originally from Mossman River),Dec. 1994, L.W. Jessup 920. Holo: BRI.

Grows into a tree-top vine, stem diameters to 5 cm recorded. Bark aromatic or spicy when cut or bruised. Brown or dark fibrous stripes visible in the blaze.

Leaf blades about 8-16 x 3-6 cm, petioles about 0.4-0.8 cm long, +/- flat on the upper surface. Leaf blades much paler on the underside. Lateral veins about 8-12 on each side of the midrib. Oak grain in the twigs or expanded rays in the bark?

Flowers about 4-5 cm diam., +/- odourless, pedicels about 5.5-7.5 cm long with a small bract on the lower half. Sepals about 1.5-1.7 cm long. Petals 3 + 3, in two whorls, outer petals about 5.5 cm long, inner petals about 4.7 cm long. Stamens numerous, anthers hooded, sessile, about 2 mm long. Carpels about 100, hairy, about 3 mm long. Ovules 6 per carpel. Stigma globose, sticky.

Features not available.

Endemic to CYP & NEQ. Altitudinal range uncertain, but appears to extend from near sea level to about 100 m. Grows in well developed lowland or gallery rain forest.

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