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Useful Tropical Plants

Melodorum leichhardtii

(F.Muell.) Benth.

Annonaceae

+ Synonyms

Fissistigma leichhardtii (F.Muell.) Merr.

Rauwenhoffia leichhardtii (F.Muell.) Diels

Unona leichhardtii F.Muell.

Common Name: Zig-zag Vine

Melodorum leichhardtii
Close-up of the fruits
Photograph by: Ford, A. & Goulter, F.
Image credit to Australian National Botanic Gardens
Melodorum leichhardtii Melodorum leichhardtii Melodorum leichhardtii Melodorum leichhardtii Melodorum leichhardtii Melodorum leichhardtii

General Information

Melodorum leichhardtii is a vigorous, climbing, evergreen shrub with large stems up to 9cm in diameter that can climb to the canopy of the rainforest. Some of the branches form loops to act like tendrils and support the plant[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
,
713
Title
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
].
The edible fruit is sometimes harvested from the wild and consumed locally.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, north to Papua New Guinea.

Habitat

Complex microphyll closed forests[
440
Title
Brisbane Rainforest Action and Information Network,
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.brisrain.webcentral.com.au
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Information on plants in the Queensland Rainforests.
]. Grows in well developed rain forest, gallery forest, monsoon forest and vine thickets at elevations from sea level to 1,100 metres[
713
Title
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Climber
Height25.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



The plant can be pruned in order to maintain it as a scrambling shrub, rather than letting it climb into the canopy[
440
Title
Brisbane Rainforest Action and Information Network,
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.brisrain.webcentral.com.au
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Information on plants in the Queensland Rainforests.
].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
]. The sot pulp is reasonably palatable[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
]. A pleasant, acidic taste[
440
Title
Brisbane Rainforest Action and Information Network,
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.brisrain.webcentral.com.au
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Information on plants in the Queensland Rainforests.
]. The red or orange-red peanut-shaped fruits are edible and tasty[
713
Title
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
]. The yellow fruits are about 15mm wide and taper into the stalks[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
].

Medicinal

The stems and bark of this plant have shown antitumor activity[
713
Title
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe. It usually germinates easily in less than 2 months[
440
Title
Brisbane Rainforest Action and Information Network,
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.brisrain.webcentral.com.au
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Information on plants in the Queensland Rainforests.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-12. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Melodorum+leichhardtii>

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