Amyema plicatula (K.Krause) Danser APNI* Synonyms: Amyema scandens subsp. plicatula (K.Krause) Barlow APNI*
Description: Aerial stem parasitic shrub. Glabrous or rarely the inflorescence and flowers shortly and sparsely brown or white tomentose. Stems usually robust and distinctly lenticellate, enlarged at the nodes, terete.
Leaves verticillate, with 3–4 (-8) leaves in a whorl, sometimes opposite; lamina very variable, lanceolate to ovate, or rarely broad ovate or obovate, 5–20 cm long, 2.5–7 cm wide, thinly to thickly coriaceous, dull on both sides or with the upper surface somewhat glossy, attenuate, cuneate or rarely truncate at the base into a petiole 3–10 (-20) mm long, sometimes undulate at the margin, mostly acute or obtuse or less often rounded at the apex, venation pennate, mostly obscure, except for the midrib, which is raised below.
Inflorescences few to several at the nodes or on the runners; peduncle (1)-5–25 mm long; rays 5–8, 6–10 mm long; triads with all flowers sessile; bracts spreading, rounded, 1–2.5 mm long, shortly united at the margins into an involucre under each triad. Calyx cylindrical funnel-shaped or barrel-shaped; limb erect, truncate or weakly toothed, 0.7–1.3 mm long. Corolla in the mature bud slender, sometimes clavate, acute or obtuse, 20–30-(38) mm long, 5- or 6-merous. Anthers 1–2.5 mm long; free parts of the filaments 5–6 times as long. Stigma knob-like, about 1.5 times as wide as the style.
Fruit ellipsoid to obovoid, 7–10 mm long, crowned by the calyx limb and often by long persistant styles.
Distribution and occurrence: Night Cap Range. Remant rainforest in New South Wales. Overseas it is recorded for primary and secondary rainforest and open humid forests from sea level 1600m.
NSW subdivisions: NC
Other Australian states: Qld
Threatened species: NSW BCA: Endangered; Commonwealth EPBC: Endangered
Recorded host in New South Wales Rosewood (Dysoxylum fraseriana). Overseas hosts include Calophyllum, Eugenia, Garcinia, Nothofagus and Terminalia.
Text by B.M. Wiecek
Taxon concept: B.A. Barlow (1974), Aust. J. Bot. 22(3):583 and (1992) Blumea 36(2):362
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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