Muellerargia timorensis
Content
Description
Herbaceous climber, 1-3 m long, hairy, hairs short or long.
Leaves:
Fruits ripening green, 1.5-2.5 by 1.5-2 cm, at apex tapering into a beak to 0.5 cm long with at apex the withered perianth persisting, tubercles or protuberances to 1 cm long;
Seeds narrowly ovate, c. 8 by 3 mm, base ± narrowed, apex subtruncate, faces shallowly finely scrobiculate or smooth, margin faint, with square edge.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Jawa (Jawa present); Lesser Sunda Is. present; Maluku (Maluku present); New Guinea present, Australasia: Queensland (Queensland present); Western Australia (Western Australia present), Central Province, Tavai Creek area present, Christmas Is present, Flores present, Lombok present, Madura present, Papua New Guinea present, Pasitaloe Is present, SW Sulawesi present, Sumba present, Timor present, Wetar present
Australia: Christmas Is., western Australia and Queensland; in Malesia: Java (Madura), near SW Sulawesi (Pasitaloe Is.), Lesser Sunda Islands (Lombok, Sumba, Flores, Timor), Moluccas (Wetar), New Guinea (Papua New Guinea (Central Province, Tavai Creek area)).
Taxonomy
Pullen 6848 (Tavai Creek) noted: ‘the fruits when ripe are easily dislodged from the vine, at which time they squirt seeds from the ruptured end for a considerable distance’. The synonym Zehneria ejecta, refers to the squirting fruits, like in the Mediterranean Ecballium elaterium (L.) A.Rich., the Squirting cucumber.