Gonocarpus teucrioides
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gonocarpus teucrioides | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Haloragaceae |
| Genus: | Gonocarpus |
| Species: | G. teucrioides |
| Binomial name | |
| Gonocarpus teucrioides | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
|
Haloragis aenea Schindl. | |
Gonocarpus teucrioides, or forest raspwort[4] is a common flowering herb or subshrub in the Haloragaceae, or watermilfoil family. It is native to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania[5] and is widespread and abundant in the understorey of wet forests.[6] The name raspwort refers to the rough, scabrous surface of many of the Gonocarpus species.[7]
The specific epithet, teucrioides, derives from Teucrium and the Greek suffix -oides which indicates resemblance, thereby giving an adjective meaning that the species resembles the plants in the genus, Teucrium.[8]
It is an erect perennial herb, woody at the base, 30–40 cm tall and 20–30 cm wide.[9] Its stems are 4-angled in cross section. Leaves are opposite and ovate, with toothed margins and 7–22 mm long. They have a dark green upper surface and a lighter undersurface, stems are often reddish.[9] Both the leaves and stems have stiff, spreading hairs.[6] Flowers are small and solitary, occurring in pairs of bracts in the leaf axils along the lower section of the flowering stem.[10] They are carried in racemes at the end of the stem.[11] Bracts are green and fleshy, petals are green to reddish. Plants are monoecious,[11] and flowering occurs from October to January.[12] Fruit is an ovoid, silver-grey ribbed nut, about 1.5 mm long.[13]
