Parsonsia brownii | |
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Parsonsia brownii, Sherbrooke Forest, Victoria | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Apocynaceae |
Genus: | Parsonsia |
Species: | P. brownii
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Binomial name | |
Parsonsia brownii | |
Occurrence data from AVH | |
Synonyms | |
Lyonsia brownii Britten |
Parsonsia brownii, commonly known as twining silkpod or mountain silkpod, is a woody vine of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. [1] [2] It occurs in rainforest in the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia. [2]
The species climbs to 10 or more metres in height and has a watery sap. [2] [3] The glossy leaves are lanceolate, up to 20 centimetres long and 4 centimetres wide, and taper towards the tip. [3] Juvenile leaves are narrower and new growth is down-covered. Small, sweetly scented yellow and brown flowers are produced in loose terminal panicles between August and December. [3] These are followed by long, slender pods which are 5 to 10 centimetres in length. [2]
The species was first formally described as Lyonsia brownii by botanist James Britten in Journal of Botany, British and Foreign in 1907. [1] The species was placed in the genus Parsonsia by French botanist Marcel Pichon in 1950 in Notulae Systematicae. [1] The names Lysonia straminea and Parsonsia straminea have been misapplied to this species in the past. [1]
The species is not commonly cultivated and is considered too vigorous for most gardens. [3] It requires cool, moist conditions. [3] Plants are commercially available from local indigenous plant nurseries. [3]