Motherwellia is a monotypic genus (a genus containing a single species) of plant in the ginseng and ivy family Araliaceae. The sole species in the genus is Motherwellia haplosciadea, a vine that is endemic to Queensland, Australia.
Description Motherwellia haplosciadea is a small woody root climber with stem diameters up to having been recorded. It has trifoliate leaves arranged alternately on the stems. The leaflets are shiny and may reach long and wide, and the may be absent or up to long. The dark red flowers have five petals and are about wide. They are produced in terminal umbels. The fruit is a pink or red drupe measuring about wide and long, slightly flattened. It contains two brown seeds about long.
Phenology Flowering occurs between January and July, fruit appear from December to July.
Distribution and habitat This species grows in rainforest, often on soils derived from basalt or granite. The natural range is from the area around Ngalba Bulal National Park (formerly Cedar Bay National Park), south to Paluma Range National Park, at altitudes from about .
References
External links
Map of recorded sightings of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium Observations of this species on iNaturalist Images of this species on Flickriver.com