Chain fruit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chain fruit |
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| Alyxia spicata with unripe fruit at Kewarra Beach, Queensland | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Alyxia
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| Species: |
spicata
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Alyxia spicata, often called chain fruit, is a type of sprawling shrub or vine. It belongs to the plant family Apocynaceae. This plant naturally grows in New Guinea and the warm, wet parts of Australia, known as the tropics.
Contents
About the Chain Fruit Plant
What Does it Look Like?
Chain fruit plants can grow quite tall, up to 4 metres high. Their leaves grow in interesting patterns. On shoots that grow straight up, the leaves appear in groups of four. On shoots that grow sideways, the leaves are in groups of three.
The flowers of the chain fruit are small. They usually have an orange tube with creamy white tips. Each flower is only about 3 to 4 millimetres wide. They also have a fuzzy part called a calyx.
Its Unique Fruits
The fruits of Alyxia spicata are very special. They start as yellow, then turn orange, and finally become black when they are ripe. These fruits are about 10 millimetres wide. What makes them unique is that they often grow linked together, looking like beads on a string or a small chain. This is why the plant is called "chain fruit"!
Where Does Chain Fruit Grow?
Alyxia spicata grows in many different natural places. You can find it in thick rainforests and forests near beaches. It also grows in dense areas of vines called vine thickets. Sometimes, it even clings to cliffs.
This plant is found in New Guinea and the northern parts of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It also grows in north-east Queensland. It can live from sea level all the way up to 1000 metres high in the mountains.
A Bit of History
The chain fruit plant was first officially described in 1810. A Scottish botanist named Robert Brown gave it its scientific name. He wrote about it in a book called Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae.
Before that, in 1770, plant samples were collected during Lieutenant James Cook's first journey of discovery. These samples were found near Cape Grafton and the Endeavour River. An artist named Sydney Parkinson drew pictures of the plant during this voyage. These drawings helped people learn more about this interesting species.
