Amyema queenslandica

Family

Loranthaceae

Botanical Name

Amyema queenslandica (Blakely) Danser

Danser, B.H. (1929) Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg 10: 298. Type: ?.

Synonyms

Loranthus queenslandica Blakely, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 47: 392(1922), Type: Queensland, near Herberton, S. Dixon s. n.; Holo: NSW.

Stem

Epicortical runners usually present, sometimes absent.

Leaves

Leaf blades thick and fleshy, brittle, breaking along a straight line when bent back on themselves. Leaf blades about 5-9 x 3-8 cm, petioles about 0.5-1.5 cm long. Venation not obvious with 3-5 veins radiating from the base.

Flowers

Flowers borne in triads, the central flower sessile, the lateral flowers pedicellate (3 mm). Triads in umbels up to 6-rayed. Rays of umbels about 6-10 mm long, dilated at the apex. Primary peduncle about 10-25 mm long. Calyx about 1.5-2 mm long, truncate at the apex, although often irregularly split. Corolla about 30-35 mm long. Anthers about 4.5-5 mm long, staminal filaments about 7 mm long. Ovary about 2-2.5 mm long. Style about 30-35 mm long. Stigma no wider than the style.

Fruit

Fruits ellipsoidal, somewhat scurfy, about 10-12 x 8 mm, calyx remnants dead (2 mm long) persistent at the apex. Seeds +/- turbinate, about 6-9 x 4 mm, immersed in a gelatinous mucilage. Endosperm white. Embryo dark green, about 3-5 mm long. Cotyledons about 1.5-2 mm long, thick and fleshy, closely appressed but quite discrete, not fused together.

Seedlings

Features not available.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range near sea level to 1300 m. Also found in New Guinea. Parasitic on rain forest plants in Australia.