Premna serratifolia L.

Lamiaceae

Linnaeus, C. von (1771) Mantissa Plantarum : 253. Type: Habitat in India orientali. [given by A.A.Munir, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 7 (1984) 13 as Hermann s.n., from Ceylon; holo: LINN.].

Coastal Premna; Creek Premna; Bastard Guelder

Seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh. An orange layer normally visible just outside the subrhytidome layer and orange-brown stripes usually visible in the blaze.

Younger leaf bearing twigs smooth and green with no lenticels apparent, older twigs with oval or slightly elongated lenticels. Leaf blades about 8-15 x 5-10 cm. Petioles about 1.5-4 cm long. Domatia, if present, are inconspicuous tufts of hairs.

Calyx obscurely 2-lipped or 3-lobed, about 2-2.5 mm long, +/- glabrous or obscurely puberulous on the outer surface. Corolla about 4-5 mm long, tube almost cylindrical, about 2-3 mm long, lobes about 1.3-1.7 mm long. Corolla bearded on the inner surface about the level of the staminal filaments. Stamens exserted, filaments glabrous, but villous towards the base, about 1.5-2.5 mm long. Ovary globose, glabrous, about 1-1.3 mm diam. Style glabrous, about 3-4.5 mm long.

Fruit obovoid-globose, glabrous, about 3-6 x 3-5 mm.

Cotyledons +/- elliptic, about 6-8 mm long. First pair of leaves ovate, margins with 2 or 3 rounded teeth on each side. Both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf blade clothed in scattered short hairs mainly near the midrib. Scattered orbicular or spherical pale-coloured glands usually visible on both surfaces of the leaf blade. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves ovate, apex acuminate, base cuneate, about 4-8 conspicuous teeth present along each side, upper surface hairy along midrib and main lateral veins; petiole and stem clothed in sparse, short hairs. Seed germination time 29 to 321 days.

Occurs in WA, NT, CYP, NEQ and CEQ. Altitudinal range from sea level to 200 m. Grows in beach forest, monsoon forest and on the margins of lowland rain forest. Also occurs in Africa, Asia, Malesia and the Pacific islands.

We have restricted the use of the name P. serratifolia L. to distinguish the small tree or shrub usually found on beaches or on the margins of monsoon forest or lowland rain forest.

Gumira attenuata (R.Br.) Kuntze, Revisio Generum Plantarum 2: 507(1891). Premna integrifolia var. obtusifolia (R.Br.) Pei, Memoirs of the Science Society of China 1(3) : 5(1932). Premna attenuata R.Br., Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae : 512(1810), Type: v.v.[given by A.A.Munir, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 7 (1984) 13 as R. Brown s.n., northern Australia, 1802 1805 (BM).]. Premna corymbosa Merr., An Interpretation of Rumphius's Herbarium Amboinense : 450(1917), Type: [given by A.A.Munir, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 7 (1984) 14 as Hermann s.n., from Ceylon (Institute de France, Paris).]. Premna integrifolia L., Mantissa Plantarum : 252(1771), Type: Habitat in India orientali. Premna media R.Br., Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae : 512(1810), Type: v.v. given by A.A.Munir, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 7 (1984) 13 as R. Brown s.n., northern Australia, 1802,1805 (BM).]. Premna obtusifolia R.Br., Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae : 512(1810), Type: v.v. [ A.A.Munir, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 7 (1984) 13 as R. Brown s.n., (J.J. Bennett no. 2324), Prince of Wales Island, Queensland, BM. Premna obtusifolia R.Br. var. obtusifolia, Flora Australiensis 5: 59(1870). Premna ovata R.Br., Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae : 512(1810), Type: v.v. [given by A.A.Munir, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 7 (1984) 13 as R. Brown s.n., (J.J. Bennett no. 2325), northern Australia, 1802. Premna suavis Domin, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 1110(1928), Type: Nordost-Queensland: Regenwalder bei Harveys Creek (DOMIN II. 1910). Premna glycycocca F.Muell., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 3: 36(1862), Type: In locis arenosis insularum Howicks Group. F.M. Premna obtusifolia var. gaudichaudii (Schauer) Moldenke, Phytologia 27: 69(1973).