Kingdom Plantae Family Rubiaceae Tribe Rubieae Scientific name Asperula gunnii | Order Gentianales Subfamily Rubioideae Genus Asperula Rank Species | |
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Similar Asperula arcadiensis, Asperula gussonei, Asperula hirta | ||
Asperula gunnii, the mountain woodruff, is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is a perennial herb that is endemic to Australia.
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Description
Leaves are usually arranged in whorls of 4 to 6 and are 4 to 8 mm long and 2.5 mm wide with pointed ends. White flowers are produced in summer in terminal or axillary cymes. Male flowers are around 2 mm long and female flowers are 3 mm long. These are followed by 1 to 2 mm long black fruits.
Distribution and Habitat
Asperula gunnii occurs in damp or swampy conditions in grasslands or wooded areas at high altitudes in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales.
Taxonomy
Asperula gunnii was first formally described by English botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1847 based on plant material collected by Ronald Gunn near the Nive River in Tasmania in 1840.