Hedraianthera porphyropetala F.Muell.

Mueller, F.J.H. von (1865) Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 5: 59. Type: Ad sinum Rockinghams Bay, secus rivulos. Dallachy. Holo: MEL.

Purple-flowered Hedraiantheral; Hedraianthera, Purple-flowered; Hedraianthera

Grows into a small tree not exceeding 30 cm dbh but usually flowers and fruits as a shrub.

Leaf blades about 5-17 x 1.5-6 cm, petioles about 4-5 mm long. Midrib raised on the upper surface of the leaf blade. Lateral veins about 5-8 on each side of the midrib. Stipules small and inconspicuous. Twig bark spongy or corky but lacking an orange layer.

Flowers on long slender pedicels up to 35 mm long. Flowers about 10 mm diam. Calyx tube less than 0.5 mm long, lobes about 1 mm long. Petals about 3.5-6 mm long. Staminal filaments about 0.2-0.5 mm long. Anthers about 0.5 x 1.1 mm dehiscing laterally and upwards. Disk 5-lobed, thick and fleshy. Ovary partly immersed in the disk. Stigma slightly concave, broad +/- 5-lobed. Ovules 4-6 per locule, in two pairs one above the other.

Capsules woody, ovoid to depressed-globular, about 1.5-2.5 x 1.5-4 cm. Seeds about 30 per fruit. Seeds angular, about 10-11.5 mm long. Aril confined to the base and one side of the seed. Testa surface +/- rugose or colliculate. Radicle about 1.5 mm long. Cotyledons about 7 mm long, much wider and longer than the radicle. Endosperm watery.

Cotyledons sessile, oblong, about 6-9 x 2-4 mm, apex obtuse. First pair of leaves opposite, ovate, apex acute, base obtuse, margins often toothed, midrib flush with or slightly raised on the upper surface of the leaf blade, stipules about 1 mm long. At the tenth leaf stage: midrib raised on the upper surface of the leaf blade, petioles channelled on the upper surface; stipules small and inconspicuous; stem zig-zagged. Root bark orange in colour. Seed germination time 193 to 345 days.

Endemic to Australia, occurs in NEQ, CEQ and southwards to north-eastern New South Wales. Altitudinal range from sea level to 1000 m. Grows as an understory tree in well developed rain forest on a variety of sites.