Marsdenia rostrata
Encyclopedia
Marsdenia rostrata, the Milk Vine is a common climbing plant found in eastern, Australia
. This member of the Dogbane family
features white milky sap, when leaves are broken from the stem. It is found in a variety of habitats in relatively high rainfall areas, including rainforest and wet eucalyptus
forest. Widespread in distribution in coastal regions, though it also appears inland in places such as the Liverpool Range
. It may grow to ten metres tall, with a woody stem up to 4 cm wide. Leaves range from 4 to 13 cm long and 2 to 7 cm wide. The fruit is somewhat pear shaped, 5 cm by 2.5 cm.
The specific epithet rostrata is from ancient Greek, and it refers to the “beaked” head of the flower's stigma
. In 1810, this species first appeared in scientific literature, in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, authored by the prolific Scottish botanist, Robert Brown
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. This member of the Dogbane family
Apocynaceae
The Apocynaceae or dogbane family is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas.Many species are tall trees found in tropical rainforests, and most are from the tropics and subtropics, but some grow in tropical dry, xeric environments. There are also perennial herbs...
features white milky sap, when leaves are broken from the stem. It is found in a variety of habitats in relatively high rainfall areas, including rainforest and wet eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
forest. Widespread in distribution in coastal regions, though it also appears inland in places such as the Liverpool Range
Liverpool Range
The Liverpool Range is a mountain range and a lava-field province in New South Wales, Australia.The Liverpool Range starts from the volcanic plateau known as the Barrington Tops and runs for about 100 km westwards, forming the northern boundary of the Hunter Valley district...
. It may grow to ten metres tall, with a woody stem up to 4 cm wide. Leaves range from 4 to 13 cm long and 2 to 7 cm wide. The fruit is somewhat pear shaped, 5 cm by 2.5 cm.
The specific epithet rostrata is from ancient Greek, and it refers to the “beaked” head of the flower's stigma
Stigma (botany)
The stigma is the receptive tip of a carpel, or of several fused carpels, in the gynoecium of a flower. The stigma receives pollen at pollination and it is on the stigma that the pollen grain germinates. The stigma is adapted to catch and trap pollen with various hairs, flaps, or sculpturings...
. In 1810, this species first appeared in scientific literature, in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, authored by the prolific Scottish botanist, Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
.