Common name: Staff Climber
Celastrus australis Harv. & F.Muell. APNI* 
Description: Climbing dioecious shrub, ± glabrous; stems mostly grey to grey-brown, young branchlets with broad-ovate to triangular erose scales near base.
Leaves lanceolate to elliptic, often falcate towards apex, mostly 3–9 cm long, 1–4 cm wide, apex acute or acuminate, margins entire or toothed; petiole 3–15 mm long.
Flowers in terminal panicles on pedicels to 2.8 mm long, yellowish green. Sepals 1.5–2 mm long. Petals 1.8–3 mm long.
Capsule ellipsoid to subglobose, 3–6.5 mm long, light brown, inner surface with scattered red spots; seeds 3–4 mm long, aril orange.
Flowering: October–June.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread in warmer rainforest.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, CT, ST, NWS, CWS
Other Australian states: Qld Vic.
Text by T. A. James
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
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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