Eustrephus latifolius R.Br.

Asparagaceae

Ker Gawler, J.B. in Sims, J. (1809) Curtis's Botanical Magazine 31 : 1245. Type: Bot. Mag. 31: t. 1245 (1809).

Orange-vine; Wombat Berry

A slender vine not exceeding a stem diameter of 2 cm.

Leaf blades about 4-10.5 x 1.2-3.5 cm, petioles about 0.1-0.3 cm long, grooved on the upper surface. Venation longitudinal and parallel with 2-4 veins on each side of the midrib more prominent that the rest.

Flower stalks about 20-25 mm long, part pedicel and part peduncle. Sepals ovate to elliptic, about 7-8 mm long. Petals ovate to elliptic, about 7 mm long, margins fringed. Stamens 6. Anthers about 3.5-4 mm long, filaments flattened, about 0.5-1 mm long. Ovary ovoid, about 2 mm long. Style about 3 mm long.

Fruits about 15-23 x 13-20 mm, opening by means of 3 or 4 valves. Seeds 6-18 per fruit, each seed angular or irregularly shaped, about 5-6 mm long. Endosperm very hard. Embryo curved to almost U-shaped, about 4-10 mm long, one end thicker than the other.

About five cataphylls produced before the first true leaves. First true leaves narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, apex acute, petioles absent or very short. Leaf blades glabrous, venation longitudinal and parallel. At the tenth leaf stage: seedlings usually multistemmed. Leaves distichous, stems zig-zagged. Leaf blade narrowly elliptic, apex acute, base generally obtuse, venation longitudinal and parallel with about 10 prominent veins on each side of the midrib. Petiole very short or absent. Taproot white. Seed germination time 54 to 382 days.

Occurs in CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards as far as Victoria. Altitudinal range in CYP and NEQ from near sea level to 900 m. Grows in wet sclerophyll forest, monsoon forest, lowland and upland rain forest. Also occurs in Malesia and the Pacific islands.

Eustrephus latifolius Ker Gawl. subsp. latifolius, Mitteilungen aus dem Botanischen Museum der Universitat Zurich 189 : 213(1951). Eustrephus latifolius var. typicus Domin, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 516(1928). Eustrephus latifolius var. brownii Schlittler, Mitteilungen aus dem Botanischen Museum der Universitat Zurich 189 : 214(1951. Eustrephus latifolius R.Br., Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae : 281(1810), Type: Port Jackson & northern Australia, R. Brown; (holo: BM?). Eustrephus latifolius Ker Gawl. subvar. latifolius, Mitteilungen aus dem Botanischen Museum der Universitat Zurich 189 : 214(1951). Eustrephus latifolius Ker Gawl. subf. latifolius, Mitteilungen aus dem Botanischen Museum der Universitat Zurich 189 : 214(1951). Eustrephus brownii F.Muell., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 7: 73(1869). Eustrephus latifolius Ker Gawl. var. latifolius, Flora Australiensis 7: 18(1878). Eustrephus latifolius subsp. watsonianus (Miq.) Schlittler, Mitteilungen aus dem Botanischen Museum der Universitat Zurich 189 : 213(1951). Eustrephus latifolius var. angustifolius (R.Br.) Benth., Flora Australiensis 7: 18(1878). Eustrephus latifolius var. intercedens Domin, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 516(1928), Type: Sud-Queensland: in den Regenwaldern der Tambourine Mountains (DOMIN, III. 1910). Eustrephus watsonianus Miq., Linnaea 18 : 84(1844), Type: in New-South-Wales Novae Hollandiae (Herb. Watson.). Eustrephus angustifolius R.Br., Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae : 281(1810), Type: Northern Australia, R. Brown; (holo: BM?).