Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Ixora baileyana Bridson & L.G.Adams


Herb (herbaceous or woody, under 1 m tall)
Shrub (woody or herbaceous, 1-6 m tall)
Click/tap on images to enlarge
Male flower. © Barry Jago
Leaves and fruit. © CSIRO
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
10th leaf stage. © CSIRO
Cotyledon stage, epigeal germination. © CSIRO
Family

Adams, L.G., Bridson, D.M. & Robbrecht, E. (1987) Kew Bulletin 42: 214. Type: Based on Lasianthus graciliflorus.

Stem

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub about 1-2 m tall.

Leaves

Stipules about 6-10 mm long, interpetiolar, triangular in shape at the base but tapering to a long fine point at the apex. Leaf blades +/- spathulate or obovate, about 9-20 x 3.5-6.2 cm. Petioles very short, about 0.2-0.3 cm long.

Flowers

Peduncles very short, the flowers produced in short clusters much shorter than the leaves. Calyx tube about 1-1.5 mm long, calyx lobes about 1 mm long. Corolla tube about 4-6 mm long, corolla lobes about 3-4 mm long. Anthers +/- sessile, protruding above the corolla tube.

Fruit

Fruits globular, about 10 mm diam., +/- sessile. Seeds about 3 or 4 per fruit, each with an excavation on one side which causes a rumination in the endosperm. Cotyledons flat, cordate or orbicular, much wider than the radicle.

Seedlings

Cotyledons +/- cordate, about 10-15 x 10-18 mm. Cotyledonary stipules present. First pair of leaves +/- spathulate, opposite, petiole short. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade +/- spathulate, apex variable, often rounded, base attenuate but abruptly narrowed into the short petiole. Stipules interpetiolar, about 3-9 mm long, each stipule ending in a spur-like projection. Seed germination time 90 to 174 days.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 450 m. Grows as an understory plant in undisturbed lowland rain forest. This species tends to grow in clonal clumps and all of the plants in each clump are, of course, of the same sex.

Synonyms
Lasianthus graciliflorus F.M.Bailey, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Stock. Botany Bulletin 5: 18(1892), Type: Queensland, Tringilburra Creek, Bellenden-Ker Expedition, 1889, Bailey s.n.; holo: BRI; iso: K.
RFK Code
3170
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