Parsonsia plaesiophylla S.T.Blake

Apocynaceae

Blake, S.T. (1948) Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 59: 167.

Vine stem diameters to 20 cm recorded. Bark exudate watery brown. Vessels tend to be arranged in rather vaguely defined tangential lines. When transverse sections are viewed with a lens sinuous or curved segments of bark can be seen included in the wood.

Leaf blades about 5-13 x 2-6.5 cm, petioles 1.5-4 cm long, grooved on the upper surface. Several small, finger-like glands arranged in a line between the points of attachment of the petiole bases. Underside of the leaf blades sparsely hairy, much paler than the upper surface. Exudate from twigs and petioles clear, copious and immediate. Lateral veins about 7-9 on each side of the midrib. Juvenile leaf blades +/- lanceolate or oblong, apex acute to acuminate, base cordate. Leaves lie appressed to the surface of the support (normally a tree stem) while the stem is attached to the support by adventitious roots. Colleters absent.

Inflorescence a condensed panicle. Flowers pleasantly perfumed, about 6-10 mm diam. at anthesis, corolla lobes recurved after anthesis. Calyx lobes about 0.6-1.25 mm long. Corolla tube about 1-1.2 mm long, lobes about 4-5.5 mm long. Anthers ventrifixed, about 2.3 mm long, apices attenuate, bases 2-tailed or 2-lobed. Staminal filaments about 3.5-4 mm long, looped or twisted with one loop or twist in each filament. Nectary (disk) glands free from one another, each about 0.5 mm long or fused to one another at the base. Ovary green, about 1 mm long, ovules numerous. Style about 3.5-4 mm long. Stigma green, inflated about the middle, apex +/- cone shaped, obscurely 2-lobed and skirted at the base.

Follicles about 8.5-12 cm long. Seeds about 8-10 mm long, plumes pale brown, about 30-32 m long. Embryo about 6-7 mm long, cotyledons about 4-4.5 mm long, radicle about 2-2.5 mm long.

Cotyledons elliptic, about 17-21 x 8-11 mm, lower surface purplish. First leaves cordate, lower surface purplish, both the upper and lower surfaces clothed in short hairs. Hypocotyl hairy. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade elliptic, apex shortly acuminate, base shallowly cordate, midrib +/- flush with the upper surface. Lower surface purple in colour. Upper and lower leaf blade surfaces clothed in appressed, translucent hairs. Stem densely clothed in short, curved hairs. Minute stipule-like glands about 0.5 mm long present on the stem between the points of attachment of the petiole bases. Seed germination time 22 days.

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards as far as south-eastern Queensland. Altitudinal range in NEQ from 500-950 m. Grows in some of the drier types of rain forest, monsoon forest and deciduous vine thicket.

Lyonsia oblongifolia Benth., Flora Australiensis 4: 323(1868), Type: Queensland. Rockhampton, Scrubby Creek, Bowman 140; syn: MEL; Rockhampton, Jan. 1867, P. OShanesy; syn: MEL.