Osbeckia australiana

Family

Melastomataceae

Botanical Name

Osbeckia australiana Naudin

Naudin, C.V. (1850) Annales des Sciences Naturelles Bot. ser. 3, 14: 59. Type: Northern Territory, Port Essington, Armstrong s.n.; holo: P; iso: BR, K. Fide C. Hansen, Ginkgoana 4: 72 (1977).

Synonyms

Osbeckia perangusta F.Muell., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 5: 181(1865), Type: Northern Territory, north coast of Arnhems Land, McKinlay s.n.; holo: MEL. Osbeckia koolpinyahensis O.Schwarz, Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis 24: 91(1927), Type: Northern Territory, Darwin, F. A. K. Blesser no. 421); syn: MEL.

Common name

Osbeckia

Stem

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub about 1-2 m tall.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 20-60 x 2-13 mm. Both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf blade clothed in simple, pale, +/- prostrate hairs. Each leaf with a midrib and two major longitudinal veins. Hairs on the twigs between the petiole bases resemble stipules.

Flowers

Outer surface of the hypanthium densely clothed in clumps of hairs. Petals broadly spathulate or obovoid, about 20 x 15 mm. Stamens uniform, ten, each with a gland at the base of the anther. Anthers with a terminal pore.

Fruit

Fruit a dry, globular capsule, about 7 mm diam. Seeds very small, about 0.3-0.5 mm, cochleate, testa tuberculate. Embryo U-shaped.

Seedlings

Features not available.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to Australia, occurs in WA and NT. Altitudinal range from near sea level to about 100 m. Usually grows in swampy or seasonally wet areas but not restricted to rain forest or monsoon forest.