Uvaria leichhardtii.
Family Annonaceae > Subfamily Annonioideae.
Flora of Australia Vol. 2 has it under Melodorum leichhardtii and
The Plant List site has both names as ‘unresolved’.
It is commonly known as the zigzag or knot vine.
It is a woody vine (liana) which initially grows as a bushy scrambler.
Where there is support it begins to climb when a few years old and,
in a rainforest can reach the canopy.
It is a stem twiner and the loops it forms give the appearance of knots.
Glossy green leaves, on a hairy petiole are alternately arranged along the zig-zag stem.
Elliptic to oblong blades are up to around 16 cm long and 5 or 6 cm wide.
New growth is covered with minute, rust coloured stellate hairs.
This includes the twigs, petioles and the lower surface of the leaf blades.
Older leaves are smooth and shiny on both surfaces.
Flowers, usually in pairs are on a hairy stalk (peduncle) up to 2.5 cm long.
They appear to be leaf opposed but are actually terminal due to the manner of branching.
There are 1 or 2 bracts that are 4 mm long.
The flowers, over 2 cm wide, open in the evening.
Triangular sepals are brown, 2 to 3 mm long and persist in the fruit.
There are usually 6 thick, fleshy, yellow-brown petals in 2 whorls.
The outer 3 are concave, broadly ovate, around 10 mm long and with hairs on the outside.
The inner 3 are slightly shorter, around 7 mm long and with a clawed base.
Stamens are only 2-3 mm long.
The approximately 20 carpels, 5-6 mm long, are covered in short, brown hairs.
The orange fruit, on short stalks, are up to 30 mm long.
Each has up to 5 seeds with constrictions between them.
J.F.
