Carronia protensa
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 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 and 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, and was transferred to its current combination by German botanist Ludwig Diels in 1910.
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.
Ecology
Carronia protensa, along with other Carronia species, is a host plant for larvae of the pink underwing moth.