Stephania bancroftii
| Stephania bancroftii | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vine stem with flowers | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Menispermaceae |
| Genus: | Stephania |
| Species: | S. bancroftii |
| Binomial name | |
| Stephania bancroftii | |
Stephania bancroftii is a species of plant in the family Menispermaceae. It is native to Queensland, Australia, where it is known from only a handful of collections. It was first described in 1910 by botanist Frederick Manson Bailey.
Description
Stephania bancroftii is a tuberous climber with a stem diameter of up to 4 cm (1.6 in). The tuber is sub-globose and grows up to about 25 cm (9.8 in) diameter. The leaves are broadly ovate, and the petiole attaches to the leaf blade on the underside (i.e. it is peltate) more or less centrally. The leaves can reach 13 cm (5.1 in) in length and 14 cm (5.5 in) width, and the petiole may be up to 14 cm long.[4][5]
The flowers occur in dense clusters or 'heads'. Individual flowers are quite small—petals on the male flowers are about 0.6 mm (0.02 in) long and those on the female flowers are about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. This species is dioecious, meaning that pistillate (functionally female) and staminate (functionally male) flowers are borne on separate plants.[4][5] The fruit is a yellow, orange or red drupe about 8 mm (0.3 in) long and wide, containing a single seed.[6]
Phenology
Flowering occurs from November to January, fruit have been collected in January.[5][6]
Distribution and habitat
The species grows in open forest, vine thickets and monsoon forest, at altitudes from sea level to about 800 m (2,600 ft), [5][6] and ranges from the Cairns region to the area around Rockhampton.[7]
References
- ↑ "Taxon - Stephania bancroftii". WildNet. Queensland Government. 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ "Stephania bancroftii F.M.Bailey". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ "Stephania bancroftii F.M.Bailey". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- 1 2 F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Stephania bancroftii". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Forman, L.L. (2022). "Stephania bancroftii F.M.Bailey". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 Cooper, Wendy; Cooper, William T. (June 2004). Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia: Nokomis Editions. p. 298. ISBN 978-0-9581742-1-3.
- ↑ "Search: species: Stephania bancroftii | Occurrence records". Australasian Virtual Herbarium. Australian Government. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
External links
- Map of herbarium collections of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium