Leichhardtia rostrata
| Leichhardtia rostrata | |
|---|---|
| Lane Cove, Australia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Leichhardtia |
| Species: | L. rostrata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Leichhardtia rostrata | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
| |
Leichhardtia rostrata, commonly known as milk vine or common milk vine, is a species of plant in the frangipani family Apocynaceae, endemic to eastern Australia. It was formerly known as Marsdenia rostrata.
Description
Leichhardtia rostrata is a woody vine with stem diameters up to 6 cm (2.4 in). It may grow to ten metres in length, leaves are opposite and attached by petioles up to 20 mm (0.79 in) long; leaf blades are rounded, up to 13 cm (5.1 in) long and 7 cm (2.8 in) wide. Flowers occur in umbels, the fruit is a long, pointed, dehiscent follicle up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long. Like all other members of its family, the plant produces milky white sap when damaged.[4][5]
Taxonomy
It was first described in 1810 by Scottish botanist Robert Brown and given the name Marsdenia rostrata. Following a review of Marsdenia by Australian botanist Paul Irwin Forster published in 2021, all Australian members of the genus were transferred to either Leichhardtia or Gymnema.[6]
The specific epithet rostrata is derived from the Latin word rostratus meaning 'beak' or 'snout', a reference to the fruit.[7]
Distribution and habitat
It inhabits rainforest and wet eucalyptus forest on most of the east coast of Australia, from Cape York Peninsula south to eastern Victoria, as well as Lord Howe Island.[5][8]
References
- ^ "Marsdenia rostrata". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- ^ "Leichhardtia rostrata (R.Br.) P.I.Forst". The International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ^ "Leichhardtia rostrata (R.Br.) P.I.Forst". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ^ F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Marsdenia rostrata". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- ^ a b Forster, P.I. (2020). "Marsdenia rostrata". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- ^ Forster, P.I. (2021). "Gymnema R.Br. and Leichhardtia R.Br. (Apocynaceae), reinstated genera for taxa previously included in Marsdenia R.Br.: a conspectus for Australia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands". Austrobaileya. 11: 14. JSTOR e27242671.
- ^ Cooper, Wendy; Cooper, William T. (June 2004). Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia: Nokomis Editions. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-9581742-1-3.
- ^ "Search: species: Leichhardtia rostrata | Occurrence records". Australasian Virtual Herbarium. Australian Government. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
External links
- Map of herbarium records of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium
- Observations of this species on iNaturalist
- Images of this species on Flickriver.com (More images labelled as Marsdenia rostrata)