Cordyline manners-suttoniae

Family

Asparagaceae

Botanical Name

Cordyline manners-suttoniae F.Muell.

Mueller, F.J.H. von (1865) Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 5: 195. Type: In monte Ellioti, Fitzalan; haud procul ab urbe Rockhampton, Dallachy et Bowman. Lecto: Fitzalan, MEL 645614. Fide Pedley (1986).

Synonyms

Cordyline terminalis var. manners-suttoniae (F.Muell.) Baker, Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany 14: 541(1875), Type: ?.

Common name

Giant Palm-lily

Stem

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub, single-stemmed or branched, up to 5 m tall.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 35-65 x 6-15 cm, green on the underside. Petiole about 12-30 cm long, grooved on the upper surface, U-shaped in transverse section. Numerous secondary veins run parallel to the main lateral veins.

Flowers

Panicles to 25 cm long, pedicels about 7-12 mm long. Tepals glabrous, about 10-12 mm long, arranged in separate whorls.

Fruit

Fruit about 1-1.5 cm diam. Embryo small, narrowly cylindrical, bent about the middle. Endosperm hard and oily.

Seedlings

One or two cataphylls produced before the first true leaves. First pair of leaves longitudinally veined, glabrous, apices mucronate, petiole bases sheathing the stem. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves longitudinally veined, apices aristate. Petioles U-shaped in transverse section, longitudinally veined and sheathing the stem. Petiole margin translucent.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in CYP, NEQ and southwards to coastal central Queensland. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 660 m. Grows in rain forest and other types of forest around swamps or on poorly drained soils.