''Billardiera viridiflora'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to a small area in the north-west of

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. It is a twining shrub that has narrowly elliptic leaves and pendent greenish yellow flowers that turn a deeper yellow as they age.

Description

''Billardiera viridiflora'' is a twining shrub or climber, its oldest stems reddish brown. The adult leaves are narrowly elliptic, about long and wide on a petiole up to long. The flowers are arranged singly on slender, down-turned peduncles up to long. The

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s are narrowly egg-shaped, greenish-mauve, and the petals are greenish yellow, turning deeper yellow as they age, up to long, the petal lobes spatula-shaped. Ths species is similar to '' B. longiflora'' but has bright blue

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

. Flowering occurs from November to January and the mature fruit is an oblong, purple

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

long, containing reddish brown seeds.

Taxonomy

''Billardiera viridiflora'' was first formally described in 2004 by Lindy W. Cayzer and David L. Jones in '' Australian Systematic Botany'' from specimens collected near Marrawah in 1998. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''viridiflora'') means "green-flowered".

Distribution and habitat

This species of billardiera grows in moist forest near Marrawah in north-west Tasmania.`

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15590268 viridiflora Endemic flora of Tasmania Plants described in 2004 Taxa named by Lindy W. Cayzer Taxa named by David L. Jones (botanist)