Timonius singularis

Timonius singularis
Stipule, fruit and foliage
Least Concern
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Genus: Timonius
Species:
T. singularis
Binomial name
Timonius singularis
Synonyms
  • Abbottia singularis F.Muell.

Timonius singularis, commonly known as false fig, is a species of plant in the family Rubiaceae, native to northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is an epiphyte in rainforest, and was first described in 1875. It has a conservation status of least concern.

Description

Timonius singularis is an epiphyte shrub or tree up to 6 m (20 ft) tall. It can also grow as a lithophyte. The stipules are large and conspicuous, growing up to 5.5 cm (2.2 in) long. The leaves are glossy and hairless, and arranged in opposite pairs. They measure up to 12 cm (4.7 in) long by 4.5 cm (1.8 in) wide and the venation is indistinct.

The inflorescences are borne in the leaf axils and consist of either a single flower or a panicle of up to five flowers. The corolla tube is about 12 mm (0.5 in) long; the corolla lobes are about 7 mm (0.28 in) long with conspicuous longitudinal ridges. This species is dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers are borne on separate plants.

The fruit is a berry turning red or purple when ripe, and measuring about 10 mm (0.4 in) long and 15 mm (0.6 in) wide. They contain numerous pale seeds about 4 mm (0.16 in) long.

Distribution and habitat

The false fig grows in rainforest as an epiphyte on other trees, or occasionally on boulders. It is mostly restricted to upland forests between Paluma Range National Park and Cooktown, with a small number of occurrences in outlying populations on Cape York Peninsula.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Victorian colonial botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1875, as Abbottia singularis. Mueller's description was based on a specimen collected by John Dallachy. It was transferred to its current name in 1957 by Lindsay Stuart Smith.

Conservation

As of August 2026, this species has been assessed to be of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and in the Queensland government's Wildnet database. The IUCN supports its assessment by stating that the species has a wide distribution and that no immediate threats to the species are known. The Wildnet database does not provide any explanation for the assessments made.

References

  1. 1 2 IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group & Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). (2021). "Timonius singularis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021 e.T192496232A192496234. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T192496232A192496234.en.
  2. 1 2 "Timonius singularis (F.Muell.) L.S.Sm". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Timonius singularis (F.Muell.) L.S.Sm". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2026. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Timonius singularis". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Cooper, Wendy; Cooper, William T. (June 2004). Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia: Nokomis Editions. p. 452. ISBN 978-0-9581742-1-3.
  6. 1 2 Mueller, Ferdinand von (1875). Fragmenta phytographiæ Australiæ (in Latin). Vol. 9. Melbourne: Joannis Ferres. p. 181. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "Search: species: Timonius singularis | Occurrence records". Australasian Virtual Herbarium. Australian Government. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Timonius singularis". WildNet. Queensland Government. 2026. Retrieved 17 August 2026.