Billardiera nesophila

Billardiera nesophila is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a slender, twining shrub that has narrowly elliptic leaves and pendent yellowish-green flowers that turn canary yellow as they age.

Billardiera nesophila
On South Bruny Island
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Pittosporaceae
Genus: Billardiera
Species:
B. nesophila
Binomial name
Billardiera nesophila
Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium

Description

Billardiera nesophila is a slender twining shrub that sometimes climbs to a height of 5 m (16 ft). The adult leaves are narrowly elliptic, 24–53 mm (0.94–2.09 in) long and 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) wide on a petiole 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) long. The upper surface of the leaves is glossy green, the lower surface paler, and the edges of the leaves are turned slightly downwards. The flowers are arranged singly on slender, down-turned peduncles up to 35 mm (1.4 in) long. The sepals are egg-shaped, pinkish-mauve and joined at the base, the lobes up to 4 mm (0.16 in) long. The petals are yellowish-green, turning canary yellow as they age, 25–30 mm (0.98–1.18 in) long, the petal lobes spatula-shaped and spreading. Flowering occurs in spring and the mature fruit is a glossy, bluish-purple berry less than 15 mm (0.59 in) long, containing many seeds.[2]

Taxonomy

Billardiera nesophila was first formally described in 2004 by Lindy W. Cayzer and David L. Jones in Australian Systematic Botany from specimens collected near Lavinia State Reserve on King Island in 1998.[3] The specific epithet (nesophila) means "island-loving".[4]

Distribution and habitat

This species of billardiera grows in shady woodland in coastal areas of western Tasmania, and on islands south from King Island.[2]`

References
  1. "Billardiera nesophila". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  2. "Billardiera nesophila". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  3. "Billardiera nesophila". APNI. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  4. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 260. ISBN 9780958034180.
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