Asperula gunnii, the mountain woodruff, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is a perennial herb that is endemic to Australia.
| Asperula gunnii | |
|---|---|
| |
| Asperula gunnii, Baw Baw National Park, Victoria | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Genus: | Asperula |
| Species: | A. gunnii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Asperula gunnii | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Asperula oligantha var. gunnii (Hook.f.) Maiden & Betche nom. illeg. | |
Description
editLeaves are usually arranged in whorls of 4 to 6 and are 4 to 8 mm long and 2.5 mm wide with pointed ends. White flowers are produced in summer in terminal or axillary cymes. Male flowers are around 2 mm long and female flowers are 3 mm long. These are followed by 1 to 2 mm long black fruits.[1]
Distribution and habitat
editAsperula gunnii occurs in damp or swampy conditions in grasslands or wooded areas at high altitudes in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales.[1]
Taxonomy
editAsperula gunnii was first formally described by the English botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1847[2] based on plant material collected by Ronald Gunn near the Nive River in Tasmania in 1840.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "Asperula gunnii". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 2010-01-03.
- ^ Joseph Dalton Hooker. (1847) London Journal of Botany 6: 463 Asperula gunnii
- ^ "Asperula gunnii". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 2010-01-03.