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Rhaphidophora australasica

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Needle berry
In rainforest near
Cape Tribulation
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Genus: Rhaphidophora
Species:
R. australasica
Binomial name
Rhaphidophora australasica
Synonyms[3]
  • Rhaphidophora hollrungii Engl. (1889)
  • Rhaphidophora iboensis K.Krause (1912)

Rhaphidophora australasica, commonly known as needle berry, is a plant in the arum family Araceae that is only found in the Wet Tropics bioregion of northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is a semi-epiphytic, robust, herbaceous, root climber reaching about 30 m (98 ft) tall. The dark green leaves are oblanceolate to elliptic and measure up to 40 cm (16 in) long by 14 cm (5.5 in) wide. The inflorescence is a spadix about 6–8 cm (2.4–3.1 in) long, enclosed in a spathe about 13 cm (5.1 in) long.[4][5]

Taxonomy

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This species was first described in 1897 by the Australian botanist Frederick Manson Bailey, and published in the Queensland Agricultural Journal.[2]

Distribution and habitat

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The needle berry occurs in rainforest from around Cooktown south to about Ingham, at altitudes from sea level to about 1,000 m (3,300 ft).[4][5]

Conservation

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This species is listed by the Queensland Government's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation as least concern.[1] As of 1 April 2024, it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Species profile—Rhaphidophora australasica". Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Queensland Government. 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Rhaphidophora australasica". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Rhaphidophora australasica F.M.Bailey". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b Hay, A. (2022). "Rhaphidophora australasica". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Rhaphidophora australasica". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
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