Austrocallerya
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| Austrocallerya | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Austrocallerya megasperma in the Australian National Botanic Gardens | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Tribe: | Wisterieae |
| Genus: | Austrocallerya J.Compton & Schrire[1] |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Austrocallerya is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the subfamily Faboideae in the family Fabaceae.[3][1] They are robust, twining woody vines.[2]
Its native range is from New Guinea to eastern Australia and islands in the Southern Pacific.[1]
Species of Austrocallerya are a robust twining woody vines, reaching 2–20 m (7–66 ft) high. The mature stems have flaky, peeling bark. The leaves are evergreen and generally have 4–18 paired leaflets plus a terminal leaflet. The leaflets are 3–14 cm (1.2–5.5 in) long by 1–7 cm (0.4–2.8 in) wide. The robust inflorescence is a many-flowered terminal panicle, 6–40 cm (2–16 in) long. The individual flowers are 11–16 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long and have the general shape of members of the subfamily Faboideae. The standard petal is 12–22 mm (0.5–0.9 in) long by 11–18 mm (0.4–0.7 in) wide and of various colours from whitish to purple, with a greenish yellow or lime green nectar guide. The purple or maroon wing petals are equal in length to the keel at 11–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long by 5–6 mm (0.2–0.2 in) wide, with short basal claws. The keel petals are 11–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long by 4–6 mm (0.2–0.2 in) wide, united into a cup. They are dark reddish, purple or maroon in two of the species and white with purple tips in A. megasperma. Nine of the stamens are fused together, the other is free; all curve upwards at the apex. The inflated seed pods are 7–23 cm (2.8–9.1 in) long by 3–5.2 cm (1.2–2.0 in) wide, with hollow cavities holding generally 2–6 seeds.[2]