| Austrobaileya | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Order: | Austrobaileyales |
| Family: | Austrobaileyaceae Croizat[3][4] |
| Genus: | Austrobaileya C.T.White |
| Species: | A. scandens |
| Binomial name | |
| Austrobaileya scandens C.T.White[2] | |
| Synonyms[5] | |
Austrobaileya maculataC.T.White | |
Austrobaileya is amonotypicgenus offlowering plant, consisting of asingle species,Austrobaileya scandens, that constitutes the entirefamilyAustrobaileyaceae.[4][2][5][6][7][8] Austrobaileya scandens grows naturally only in theWet Tropics rainforests of northeasternQueensland, Australia.[2][5][8][9][10]
The nameA. maculata is recognised as a synonym ofA. scandens.[2][5]
Austrobaileya plants grow as woodylianas or vines. Their main growing stems loosely twine, with straight, extending, leafy branches. The leaves are leathery, veined and simple. The leaves produceessential oils in spherical ethereal oil cells. Their foliage is damaged byoxidation in direct sunlight, so it tends to grow beneath therainforestcanopy, in low-sunlight and very humid conditions.[11] Like many other flowering plants growing in the understory of tropical rainforest, it does not havepalisade mesophyll tissue or low leaf photosynthetic rates. It relies strongly on vegetative reproduction for continuation of the species.[citation needed]
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Austrobaileya scandens is a rare species found only (endemic) in the Wet Tropics rainforests of Queensland. It is the oldest species of flowering plants in Australia that requirespollination.Austrobaileya is one of many ancient ('basal') plants found in Wet Tropics that have survived millions of years of climatic and geological changes.
The species is well adapted to rainforests, where it can wind around tall woody trees that form the canopy. It is evolved for fitness in the wet tropical rainforest’s conditions of dampness, humidity, high-light canopy and low-light understory.
It can grow up to 15 metres (49 ft) tall. The plant has a distinctive blue-green colour foliage.Austrobaileya has large and solitary flowers that are arranged in a spiral with pale green petals. The five or so largesepals are yellowish-green, and larger than the five or so green petals. Flowers are pollinated byflies. To attract pollinators,A. scandens’ flowers release a rotting fish smell.
Their fruits are apricot-coloured and contain tightly packedseeds, similar in shape tochestnuts. The fruit is shaped like apear oreggplant. Fruits have been known to grow to sizes of 7 centimetres (2.8 in) in length by 5 centimetres (2.0 in).
TheAPG IV system, of 2016 (and the earlier 2009APG III system and 2003APG II system), recognise Austrobaileyaceae, placing it in the orderAustrobaileyales. Austrobaileyales is accepted as being among the most basal lineages in the cladeangiosperms.[3][12][13]
TheCronquist system, of 1981, assigned the family to the orderMagnoliales, in subclassMagnoliidae, in classMagnoliopsida [=dicotyledons] of divisionMagnoliophyta [=angiosperms].
TheThorne system (1992) placed it in the order Magnoliales, which was assigned to superorderMagnolianae, in subclass Magnoliideae [=dicotyledons], in class Magnoliopsida [=angiosperms].
TheDahlgren system assigned it to the orderAnnonales, which was placed in superorder Magnolianae, in subclass Magnoliideae [=dicotyledons], in class Magnoliopsida [=angiosperms].
TheEngler system, in its update of 1964, assigned it to the order Magnoliales, which was placed in subclass Archychlamydeae in class Dicotyledoneae and in subdivision Angiospermae.
