Common name: Southern Melodinus, Bellbird Vine
Melodinus australis (F.Muell.) Pierre APNI*
Description: Woody climber with twining stems, sometimes tall, branchlets glabrous.
Leaves oblong-lanceolate to narrow-elliptic, 4–10 cm long, 10–35 mm wide, apex bluntly acute or acuminate, margins sometimes undulate, glabrous; petiole 4–8 mm long.
Flowers mostly 5–13 on each axillary peduncle. Calyx lobes ovate, ciliate, 1–1.5 mm long. Corolla orange-yellow or white; lobes broad, 2–3 mm long, obtuse; scales sometimes present at throat.
Berry ovoid to ellipsoid, mostly 4–5 cm long, 1.5–3 cm diam., orange to red.
Flowering: summer–autumn.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread and common in rainforest on the coast and coastal ranges; chiefly north from Dapto West (Illawarra region).
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC
Other Australian states: Qld
Text by G. J. Harden & J. B. Williams Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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