Leichhardtia rostrata


Leichhardtia rostrata, commonly known as milk vine or common milk vine, is a species of plant in the frangipani family Apocynaceae, endemic to eastern Australia. It was formerly known as Marsdenia rostrata.

Description

Leichhardtia rostrata is a woody vine with stem diameters up to. It may grow to ten metres in length, leaves are opposite and attached by petioles up to long; leaf blades are rounded, up to long and wide. Flowers occur in umbels, the fruit is a long, pointed, dehiscent follicle up to long. Like all other members of its family, the plant produces milky white sap when damaged.

Taxonomy

It was first described in 1810 by Scottish botanist Robert [Brown |Robert Brown] and given the name Marsdenia rostrata. Following a review of Marsdenia by Australian botanist Paul [Irwin Forster] published in 2021, all Australian members of the genus were transferred to either Leichhardtia or Gymnema.
The specific epithet rostrata is derived from the Latin word rostratus meaning 'beak' or 'snout', a reference to the fruit.

Distribution and habitat

It inhabits rainforest and wet eucalyptus forest on most of the east coast of Australia, from Cape York Peninsula south to eastern Victoria, as well as Lord Howe Island.