Premna odorata

Family

Lamiaceae

Botanical Name

Premna odorata Blanco

Blanco, F.M. (1837) Flora de Filipinas 1: 488. Type: Philippines, Mt Makiling, 28 Feb. 1949, J. Tadena PNH 9602; neotype: BRI 267491; iso: PNH..

Synonyms

Premna tomentosa Willd., Species Plantarum ed. 4, 3: 314(1802), Type: Habitat in India orientali (v.s.). Premna benthamiana Domin, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 1110(1928), Type: Queensland, Port Mackay, 1863-1865, A. Dietrich 2628; syn: MEL, PR. Premna obtusifolia var. velutina Benth., Flora Australiensis 5: 59(1870), Type: Queensland, Rockingham Bay, J.Dallachy; syn: BM, K, MEL.

Common name

Premna, Fragrant; Fragrant Premna

Stem

Usually grows into a small tree but also flowers and fruits as a shrub about 3-4 m tall.

Leaves

Twigs, petioles, the upper and particularly the lower leaf blade surfaces clothed in pale erect hairs. Leaf blades about 6.5-16 x 4-10 cm, petioles about 2-6 cm long. Midrib depressed on the upper surface. Domatia, if present, are tufts of hairs. Twigs marked by pale coloured lenticels.

Flowers

Panicles about 5.5-13 cm long, flowers +/- sessile. Calyx rather variable, usually 2-lipped, calyx about 1.5-2.5 mm long, densely pubescent outside, glabrous on the inner surface, tube about 1-1.5 mm long, lobes about 0.5-1 mm long. Corolla 2-lipped, about 3.5-5.5 mm long, tube almost twice as long as the calyx, lower lobe about 1.5-2 mm long, lateral lobes about 1-1.5 mm long. Corolla tube hairy on the inner surface. Stamens exserted, filaments on one pair about 1.5-3 mm long and the other pair about 1-2 mm long, glabrous, sometimes with hairs near the base. Ovary globose, about 1 mm diam., style glabrous, about 3-5 mm long, shortly bifid at the apex.

Fruit

Fruits globose or obovoid, about 3-5 x 3-4.5 mm. Embryo about 3 mm long, cotyledons emarginate at the apex, wider and longer than the radicle.

Seedlings

Cotyledons about 9-10 x 7-8 mm, petioles about 3 mm long. First pair of leaves about 11-12 x 7-8 mm, margins toothed or lobed. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade underside marked by numerous gland-like indentations. Each leaf blade with about 5-7 large teeth on each side. Petiole about 10-15 mm long, grooved on the upper surface.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in NT, NEQ and southwards to coastal central Queensland. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 400 m. Grows in or on the margins of gallery forest. Also occurs in Malesia.