Billardiera, commonly known as appleberries, snot berries, or bluebell creepers,[2] is a genus of flowering plants in the family, Pittosporaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Billardiera are woody scramblers, climbers or twiners with elliptic, lance-shaped or linear leaves arranged alternately along the stems, the flowers with petals that are joined to form a tube at the base with spreading lobes, and succulent or fleshy fruit.

Billardiera
Billardiera scandens,
fruit - Lawson, NSW
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Pittosporaceae
Genus: Billardiera
Sm.[1]
Species

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Synonyms[1]
List

Description

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Plants in the genus Billardiera are woody scramblers, climbers or undershrubs with twining branches up to several metres long. The leaves are simple, elliptic, lance-shaped or linear and arranged alternately along the stems. The flowers are arranged singly or in cymes on the ends of branches and are greenish-yellow to cream-coloured, purple or blue, the sepals free from each other. The five petals are much longer than the sepals, sometimes free from each other, or joined at the base to form a tube with spreading lobes. The stamens are free from each other, but sometimes have their anthers joined at the tip, encircling the style. The fruit is a succulent or fleshy, variously shaped berry containing many seeds.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

Taxonomy

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The genus Billardiera was first formally described in 1793 by James Edward Smith in his book A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland, and the first species he described (the type species) was Billardiera scandens.[8][9] The name, Billardiera honours Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière.[9]

Species list

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The following is a list of species of Billardiera accepted by the Australian Plant Census as of May 2023:[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Billardiera". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Billardiera". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  3. ^ Makinson, Robert O. "Genus Billardiera". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  4. ^ Walsh, Neville G.; Albrecht, David E. "Billardiera". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Billardiera". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  6. ^ "Billardiera". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  7. ^ Cayzer, Lindy W.; Crisp, Michael D.; Telford, Ian R. H. (2004). "Cladistic analysis and revision of Billardiera (Pittosporaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany. 17 (1): 83–125. doi:10.1071/SB03028.
  8. ^ "Billardiera". APNI. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  9. ^ a b Smith, James E. (1793). A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland. Vol. Botany. London: James Sowerby. pp. 1–4. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Billardiera". AustralianPlant Census. Retrieved 27 May 2023.