Billardiera ovalis
In the Australian National Botanic Gardens
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Pittosporaceae
Genus: Billardiera
Species:
B. ovalis
Binomial name
Billardiera ovalis
Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium
Synonyms[1]

Billardiera longiflora var. ovalis (Lindl.) E.M.Benn.

Billardiera ovalis is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a woody, creeping scrambler with thick, egg-shaped or elliptic leaves, and creamy-yellow flowers arranged singly in leaf axils, but turning red as they age.

Description

Billardiera ovalis is a woody, creeping scrambler with shaggy-hairy new shoots. Its leaves are clustered on short side-shoots and are spatula-shaped at first, later egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, or elliptic, 16–24 mm (0.63–0.94 in) long, about 5 mm (0.20 in) wide and more or less sessile. The leaves are thick, both surfaces pale green and waxy, streaked with purplish-red on the lower surface. The flowers are arranged singly on hairy peduncles 8–9 mm (0.31–0.35 in) long. The sepals are broadly egg-shaped, reddish-purple and overlap each other, 2.0–2.5 mm (0.079–0.098 in) long and about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) wide. The petals are creamy-yellow, turning wine red as they age, and less than 20 mm (0.79 in) long. Flowering occurs in summer and the mature fruit is usually a bright red, egg-shaped berry about 10 mm (0.39 in) long.[2][3]

Taxonomy

Billardiera ovalis was first formally described in 1834 by John Lindley in Edwards's Botanical Register.[4][5] The specific epithet (ovalis) means "oval" or "elliptic".[6]

Distribution and habitat

This species of billardiera grows in scrub on coastal dolerite from King Island to south-eastern Tasmania.[2][3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Billardiera ovalis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Billardiera nesophila". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  3. 1 2 Jordan, Greg. "Billardiera ovalis". University of Tasmania. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  4. ↑ "Billardiera ovalis". APNI. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  5. ↑ Lindley, John (1835). "Billardiera ovalis". Edwards's Botanical Register. 20: 1719. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  6. ↑ William T. Stearn (1992). Botanical Latin. History, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary (4th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 459.
  7. ↑ Lindley, John (1835). "Billardiera ovalis". Edwards's Botanical Register. 20: 1719. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
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