Parsonsia grayana J.B.Williams

Williams, J.B. (1996) Flora Australia 28: 316. Type: Queensland, Compartment 53, State Forest Reserve 194, 20 Jan. 1977, B. Gray 247; holo: QRS.

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

Leaf blades about 4.5-11.5 x 2-4.5 cm, petioles about 0.7-1.5 cm long, shallowly grooved on the upper surface. Lateral veins about 6-8 on each side of the midrib. Small glands resembling tiny stipules usually visible on the twigs between the petiole bases. Petioles and twigs produce a clear exudate.

Flowers not opening widely, about 4-6 mm diam. at anthesis. The right hand margins of the corolla lobes overlapping. Calyx lobes about 0.7 mm long, calyx tube short with 3-5 glands opposite each lobe. Corolla tube about 2 mm long, lobes +/- erect, about 4 mm long. Throat of the corolla tube and base of the corolla lobes clothed in pale hairs. Corolla lobes about 5 mm long. Anthers about 2.5-3 mm long, projecting well beyond the corolla tube, anthers ventrifixed, fused to form a cone around the stigma, filaments about 1.3 mm long, free from one another. Anthers acuminate at the apex and ending in two tails at the base. Base of the ovary surrounded by five glands each about 1 mm long. Stigma 2-lobed at the apex, base narrowly skirted. Stigma clothed in appressed elongated scales.

Fruits brown when ripe, about 15-20 x 0.7 cm long. Seeds numerous, each seed about 10 x 3-3.5 mm. Plumes about 20-25 mm long. Endosperm hard. Cotyledons about 4.5-6 x 1.5 mm, radicle about 1.5-2 mm long.

Cotyledons elliptic, about 17-20 x 7-9 mm, lower surface often purple in colour. Cotyledonary petiole and hypocotyl hairy. First true leaves narrowly elliptic-oblong, midrib raised on the upper surface, lower surface often purplish. First leaves narrower than the cotyledons. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade linear to narrowly linear-lanceolate, many times longer than wide, apex acute, base obtuse, lateral veins numerous, more than 20 on each side of the midrib and forming loops inside the blade margin, midrib raised on the upper surface. Upper and lower leaf blade surfaces sparsely clothed in very short hairs. Small glands (about 0.5 mm long) resembling stipules usually visible on the stems between the petiole bases, also in the leaf axils (?). Stems twining. Seed germination time 22 to 26 days.

Endemic to NEQ between Mt Finnigan and Atherton. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1200 m. Grows in well developed rain forest on a variety of rock types.