Atractocarpus fitzalanii subsp. tenuipes

Family

Rubiaceae

Botanical Name

Atractocarpus fitzalanii subsp. tenuipes Puttock

Puttock, C.F. (1999) Australian Systematic Botany 12: 288. Type: Queensland, Cook District: SFR 185 Mt Haig, 17 deg 05, 145 deg 50E, 1200m, 9 July 1971, Stocker 762 (holo: BRI; iso: K, L, QRS).

Common name

Mountain Gardenia

Stem

A small tree not exceeding 30 cm dbh. Bark sometimes minutely tessellated.

Leaves

Stipules about 10-16 mm long, gradually tapering to a point and enclosing the terminal bud on each twig. Leaf blades about 7-15 x 2.8-5.5 cm.

Flowers

Male flowers : Flowers on pedicels about 20-40 mm long. Calyx lobes small and inconspicuous, calyx tube (hypanthium) +/- undulate at the apex. Flowers quite large, corolla tube about 9-10 mm long, corolla lobes about 11-13 mm long. Anthers sessile, about 5-6 mm long, included in the corolla tube. Style + stigma about 7-9 mm long, swollen part about 4-5 mm long, stigmatic lobes about 2.5 mm long. Female flowers: Flowers solitary or in a short 2-4 flowered raceme or panicle. Pedicels about 20-30 mm long. Hypanthium green, calyx lobes not distinguishable. Corolla tube about 10 mm long, inflated about the middle. Corolla lobes about 18-20 x 4 mm. Staminodes attached to the corolla tube. Stigmas 2, each about 4 mm long.

Fruit

Fruits globular, about 25-30 x 20-35 mm, usually borne in groups of 3-6 (sometimes solitary) calyx persisting at the apex. Pedicels about 20-40 mm long. Seeds numerous, flattened, about 7 x 6-7 mm. Cotyledons wider than the radicle.

Seedlings

Cotyledons broadly ovate to +/- orbicular. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade obovate to narrowly elliptic, apex acute, base attenuate, glabrous, stipules interpetiolar, linear-triangular, glabrous.

Distribution and Ecology

Probably endemic to NEQ. Altitudinal range from 500-1200 m. Grows as an understory tree in upland and mountain rain forest.