425 
Fell et all., Gnetum gnemon in Australia 
Fig. 3. Multi stemmed trunk of Gnetum gnemon in 
lowland riparian rainforest on Mua Island. Photo: D.G. 
Fell. 
& J.T.Waterh., Maranthes corymbosa Blume, 
Melaleuca dealbata S.T. Blake and Syzygium 
angophoroides (F.Muell.) B.Hyland with a 
sharp ecotone to the surrounding woodland 
vegetation. 
On Mua, Gnetum occurs in upland and 
lowland situations. Upland habitats are on 
the steep granite hillslopes and crests of 
Banks Peak, the highest topographic feature 
in Torres Strait. Gnetum was recorded 
between approximately 250-350 m altitude 
in evergreen notophyll vineforest and in 
wind sheared evergreen vinethicket (Fig. 
2). The evergreen vineforests are developed 
on upper sheltered slopes where weathering 
of the granite has produced a well-drained 
and relatively fertile sandy loam soil (3D 
Environmental 2011b). The rainforest type 
is a unique and newly described ecosystem 
for Queensland, restricted to only a few 
mountain top locations in Torres Strait (3D 
Environmental 2009). The canopy height 
ranges from 23 m to 35 m with dominants 
including Acmenosperma claviflorum (Roxb.) 
Kausel., Anthocarapa nitidula (Benth.) 
T.D.Penn. exMabb., Calophyllum sil Lauterb., 
Manilkara kanosiensis H.J.Lan & B.Meeuse, 
Sterculia shillinglawii F.Muell. subsp. 
shillinglawii and Syzygium beuttnerianum 
(K.Schum.) Nied. Gnetum habitat on the 
steep southern slopes of the peak features 
a wind sheared canopy of Acmenosperma 
claviflorum, Calophyllum sil, Podocarpus 
grayae De Laub. Licuala ramsayi var. tuckeri 
Barfod & Dowe and Pandanus zea H.St. 
John. Riparian rainforest on alluvial sands 
and silts constitute Gnetum lowland habitat 
on Mua. Characteristic canopy species are 
Buchanania arborescens (Blume) Blume, 
Horsfieldia australiana S.T.Blake, Maranthes 
corymbosa Blume, Syzygium angophoroides 
and S.bamagense B.Hyland. 
No uses are documented or known 
for Gnetum gnemon in the Torres Strait. 
Specimens were shown to Land and Sea 
Rangers during our visits to Badu in 
November 2007, November 2010 and May 
2015, and on Mua in March 2011 and March 
2014. They did not recognise the plant, and 
stated that they had no name or use for it (D. 
Williams pers. comm., 2015; T. Stow pers. 
comm., 2007; J. Wigness pers. comm., 2011). 
Natural or translocated? 
Some plants and their populations in 
Torres Strait are a reflection of natural 
biogeographic distributions, whereas others 
are anthropogenic and may indicate the 
influence of people as dispersal agents 
(Denham 2008; Denham etal. 2009; McNiven 
2008). 
The accepted hypothesis that the 
pantropical range of Gnetum reflects a 
Gondwanan history was established by 
Markgraf (1929). However, Wonn & Renner 
(2006) consider that its present range follows 
a more recent radiation in the Malesian 
region, and therefore is not Gondwanan. 
Using analysis of fossil-calibrated molecular- 
clocks, these authors investigated Gnetum 
lineages now found in Africa, South America 
and Southeast Asia with results suggesting the 
influence of ancient long-distance dispersal of 
