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Tylophora benthamii 

Staff from our Rainforest Project team are interested in testing the seeds of this species. Unfortunately despite several visits to a site with plants that have flowered well, no mature seed pods have been observed. Instead they collected cuttings from the wild and these plants are now being grown in the Garden as a cultivated seed source.

This is the first time our plants have flowered.

Note: Care should be taken when handling large quantities of this species as some workers were temporarily blinded when employed for several days collecting large quantities of this species for drug evaluation.

Common namecoast tylophora
Scientific nameTylophora benthamii Tsiang
FamilyApocynaceae
Etymology

Genus: From the Greek, tylos, knot, a callus, a knob on a club; phoros, bearing. Referring to the shape of the fleshy stamens.

Species: After George Bentham, (1800-1884), author of Flora Australiensis and other floras.

DistributionOccurs in near coastal areas from the tip of Cape York, Queensland to north-east New South Wales, and is also found in northern parts of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley of Western Australia.
Native habitatIt grows in rainforest and coastal scrubs.
DescriptionA twiner with small claret coloured flowers. The yellow sap is caustic.
Flowering/fruitingFlowers late spring to summer. Fruiting late summer to early autumn.
Location in gardenTrailing over the wall in Bed 9 on the Connections Garden.
Garden ExplorerView Tylophora benthamii  on Garden Explorer