Zehneria alba

Zehneria alba
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Subfamily: Cucurbitoideae
Tribe: Melothrieae
Subtribe: Cucumerinae
Genus: Zehneria
Species: Z. alba
Binomial name
Zehneria alba
Ridl.[1]
Synonyms
  • Melothria mucronata Cogn.
  • Zehneria mucronata Blume

Zehneria alba is a species of flowering plant in the cucumber and gourd family Cucurbitaceae. It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean. The specific epithet is from the Latin albus (white), referring to the colour of the flowers.

Description

Zehneria alba is a dioecious vine with stems growing to 3 m in length. The leaves are broadly ovate, cordate at the base, unlobed to shallowly 3-lobed, dentate, acute to acuminate, and 50–80 mm long. The flowers are small and white; the male inflorescence is paniculate or racemose, 30–150 mm long, with a 10–130 mm long peduncle; the female flowers are solitary or clustered. The fruit is ellipsoidal, 20–30 mm long, with seeds about 4 mm long.[2]

Distribution and habitat

Found only on Christmas Island, the vine grows there both within the rainforest and along its shrubbed edges.[2]

Taxonomy

The vine is sometimes considered to be conspecific with Zehneria mucronata Blume.[2]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Ridley (1906).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Flora of Australia Online.

Sources