Carronia protensa is a species of plant in the moonseed family Menispermaceae. It is endemic to Queensland, Australia, and was first described in 1883.
Description Carronia protensa is a twining vine that may achieve a stem diameter of . The leathery leaves can reach up to in length and in width, and are held on petioles (leaf stems) up to long.
Flowers are produced in clusters or panicles, emerging either from the , terminally, or from the old wood of the branches. This species is dioecious, meaning that (functionally female) and (functionally male) flowers are borne on separate plants. They are quite small—male flowers are about diameter while female flowers are about diameter. The fruit is a red, orange or yellow drupe up to long and wide, containing a single seed.
Taxonomy The plant was first described as Husemannia protensa by Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1883, based on material collected from the Daintree and Endeavour Rivers. It was transferred to its current combination by German botanist Ludwig Diels, who undertook a review of the Menispermaceae in 1910.
Etymology The genus was named after Australian botanist William Carron, and the species epithet protensa means 'extended'.
Distribution and habitat It grows in rainforest and gallery forest in northeastern Queensland, from the area near Lockhart River on Cape York Peninsula southwards along the coast to the vicinity of Tully. It also occurs on the subcoastal Atherton Tableland. The altitudinal range is from sea level to about .
Conservation This species is listed as least concern under the Queensland Government's Nature Conservation Act. , it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Ecology Carronia protensa, along with other Carronia species, is a host plant for larvae of the pink underwing moth (Phyllodes imperialis).
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References
External links
View a map of herbarium collections of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium View observations of this species on iNaturalist View images of this species on Flickriver.com