Strychnos minor

Strychnos minor
On Mt. Whitfield, Cairns, Queensland
Least Concern (NCA)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Loganiaceae
Genus: Strychnos
Species:
S. minor
Binomial name
Strychnos minor
Synonyms
27 synonyms
  • Strychnos bancroftiana F.M.Bailey
  • Strychnos barbata A.W.Hill
  • Strychnos beddomei C.B.Clarke
  • Strychnos bicirrhosa Lesch. ex Roxb.
  • Strychnos celebica Koord.
  • Strychnos cinnamophylla Gilg & Gilg-Ben.
  • Strychnos dubia A.W.Hill
  • Strychnos forbesii A.W.Hill
  • Strychnos hypogyna C.B.Clarke
  • Strychnos kerstingii Gilg & K.Schum.
  • Strychnos laurina Thwaites
  • Strychnos laurina var. thorelii A.W.Hill
  • Strychnos lenticellata A.W.Hill
  • Strychnos leuconeura Gilg & Gilg-Ben.
  • Strychnos ligustrina Zipp. ex Span.
  • Strychnos merrillii A.W.Hill
  • Strychnos micrantha Thwaites
  • Strychnos minor Blume
  • Strychnos minor var. thorelii (A.W.Hill) Tirel
  • Strychnos multiflora Benth.
  • Strychnos myriantha Gilg & Gilg-Ben.
  • Strychnos pycnoneura Gilg & Gilg-Ben.
  • Strychnos septemnervis C.B.Clarke
  • Strychnos septemnervis var. imberbis A.W.Hill
  • Strychnos silvicola A.W.Hill
  • Strychnos similis A.W.Hill
  • Strychnos thonningii Soler.

Strychnos minor, commonly known as snakewood, is a species of plant in the family Loganiaceae found in tropical areas from India through southeast Asia to New Guinea and Australia. It was first described in 1818.

Description

Strychnos minor is a woody vine growing up to 12 m (39 ft) long and a stem diameter up to 7 cm (2.8 in). The leaves are simple and arranged in opposite pairs on the stems. They have three conspicuous veins arising from the base of the leaf and numerous lateral veins between them in a ladder-like arrangement. Small flowers about 5 mm (0.2 in) long are produced in the leaf axils and are followed by yellow globular fruit about 2.5 cm (1.0 in) diameter, containing up to four flat pale brown seeds.

Taxonomy

The species was first described by German botanist August Wilhelm Dennstedt in 1818, and published in Schlüssel zum Hortus Indicus Malabaricus, oder dreifaches Register zu diesem Werke.

Distribution and habitat

This species is native to the following areas:

It inhabits gallery forest and rainforest at altitudes from sea level to about 1,500 m (4,900 ft). In the Tiwi Islands it is associated with permanent springs and spring-fed water bodies.

Conservation

This species is listed as least concern under the Queensland Government's Nature Conservation Act. In the Northern Territory it is classed as near threatened. As of May 2026, it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

References

  1. 1 2 "Species profile—Strychnos minor". Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Queensland Government. 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  2. ↑ "Strychnos minor". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "Strychnos minor Dennst". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  4. 1 2 Conn, B.J.; Brown, E.A. (2022). "Strychnos minor". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  5. 1 2 F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Strychnos minor". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Cowie I, Lewis D, et al. "Strychnos minor". FloraNT, Northern Territory Herbarium. Northern Territory Government, Darwin. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  7. 1 2 Padua, L.S. de; Bunyapraphatsara, N.; Lemmens, R.H.M.J. (1999). PROSEA: Medicinal and Poisonous Plants 1. Backhuys. ISBN 978-90-5782-042-7. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  8. ↑ Dennstedt, A.W. (1818). Schlüssel zum Hortus Indicus Malabaricus, oder dreifaches Register zu diesem Werke. Weimar: Landes-Industrie-Comptoirs. p. 33. Retrieved 21 November 2024.