Robert Pulvirenti Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 Earlier today I went to visit a good friend of mine who grows many different types of plants including ant plants. I showed him a list of Dischidias I am growing and he asked if I could identify a plant that a friend had recently collected on Cape York Peninsular. As soon as I saw the plant I knew it was either a new species or a distribution extension of an already known species not previously recorded from Australia. This plant looks very much like Dischidia albida from pictures I have seen , as soon as Ashley Field gets back from his field trip I will send him a picture of this plant. My good friend gave me the cutting I used for the following picture, he will now try to get a more specific collection site. Cutting of the unknown Cape York Dischidia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurélien Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Hi Robert, This plant seems to be the highly polymorphic D. bengalensis in my opinion... You'll certainly see more clear when this plant bloom. All the best, Aurélien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Bonjour I am on the same opinion than AURÉLIEN , wait for the flower jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Pulvirenti Posted February 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 Aurelian and Jeff Thanks for your comments, if this plant does turns out to be D. bengalensis it will still be a new record for Australia. At this time there are only four Dischidia species recognised as occuring in Australia, they are D.nummularia, D. major, D.ovata and D.litoralis. In the case of D.litoralis it does not even occur on the mainland of Queensland but on its islands of the Torres Strait as well as in New Guinea. The Australian National Herbarium has two samples of D.bengalensis both collected around the area of Jayapura in West Papua, so it is possible that it could also occur on the top of Cape York Peninsular. The person who collected this plant and initially grew it said that it is cold sensitive in southern Queensland in the winter, and should be grown under cover at this time. Cheers Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DischidiaGuy Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 This is very likely D. bengalensis but could also be D. litoralis. They are almost indistinguishable even when in bloom. A microscope is needed. In my experience, the confirmed clone of D. litoralis I grow has a fragrance and typically produces umbels numbering up to 10 flowers whereas D. bengalensis typically produces only two or three at once. Edit: Just wanted to add a bit about D. ablida. It is almost completely restricted to peninsular Malaysia where it grows as a montane and semi montane plant often in conjunction with D. astephana, even growing entwined in the plant. The foliage is very dainty and ovate, produces small urceolate flowers that are typically white with pink corolla lobes but some clones are all white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Posted March 6, 2017 Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Very interesting Robert, it looks the same as the plants I've recently acquired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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