Alyxia ruscifolia

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information

Wikipedia links:       Angiosperms  > Eudicots > Asterids > Gentianales > Apocynaceae > Alyxia  ruscifolia

Other links:    

A oblongata,    A ruscifolia

Plant  information

Common name:        Chainfruit  

Conservation status: Least concern

Etymology:   

Flowers:                  

• Fragrant white flowers form in spring and summer, in terminal heads of 3 to 5 flowers

Fruit:                         

• The fruit is orange to red in colour, 8 to 11 mm in diameter

Leaves:         

•  Leaves in whorls, narrow lanceolate to broad lanceolate in shape, 1 to 6 cm long

• Thick, leathery and glossy with a pointed tip

• Leaves usually not toothed, lateral veins obvious

• The leaf stem is between 1 and 4 mm long

Stem & branches:       

•  Usually around 2 m tall, sometimes larger

Roots:         

Habit:        

• Is a shrub of high rainfall areas

Habitat:   

• A variety of different situations:

  • Sub tropical Lord Howe Island, surrounded by the ocean

  • The tropical rainforest understorey at Kuranda in Queensland

  • The exposed rocky cliffs on the Mount Royal Range in NSW, where it is subject to high winds and snow

  • The habitat is many types of rainforests from sea level to 1200 m, sometimes also seen in sclerophyll forests

Distribution:                  

•  The natural range of distribution is from Wollongong in NSW to the Wet Tropics and further north to New Guinea

Additional notes:     

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alyxia_ruscifolia  (2023)