452 
Creek, Oct 1992, Russell s.n. (BRI [AQ547505]). North 
Kennedy District: Brandy Creek Road, about 5 km E of 
Shute Harbour and 13 km NE of Proserpine, Nov 1985, 
Sharpe 4149 (BRI). 
Distribution and habitat : In Queensland 
Polyscias nodosa is known from Iron Range; 
at several locations between Cooktown and 
Tully; and in a limited area near Proserpine 
(Map 5). It also occurs in mainland Papua 
New Guinea, Bougainville, Java, Lombok, 
Celebes, Moluccas and the Philippines 
(Philipson 1979). It is a pioneer species that 
inhabits disturbed sites in evergreen notophyll 
rainforest in high rainfall areas. 
Notes : Fertile specimens are easily 
recognisable by their long racemose 
inflorescences bearing sessile umbels. The 
leaves may exceed two metres in length. It 
is cultivated as an ornamental in south-east 
Asia. 
8. Polyscias pupurea C.T.White, Proc. Roy. 
Soc. Queensland 47: 64 (1936), as Polyscias 
purpureus. Type: Queensland. Cook District: 
Mossman River Gorge, 5 February 1932, L.J. 
Brass 2072 (holo: BRI; iso: MEL). 
Illustrations : Cooper & Cooper (2004: 66); 
Hyland etal. (2010). 
Additional selected specimens examined: Queensland. 
Cook District: Rex Range, NE of Julatten, Jan 1993, 
Bean 5676 & Forster (BRI, DNA); Mt Bartle Frere, 
Jun 1986, Bruhl 534 (BRI, CANB); FR 310, Swipers 
LA, E of Malanda, Aug 1963, Hyland AFO/2752 (BRI, 
CNS); Mcllwraith Range, Sep 1974, Hyland 7638 (BRI, 
CNS); c. 0.5 km south of Copperlode Falls Dam, Mar 
2009, Jago 7256 (BRI, L); Gold Hill summit ridge, TR 
165, Aug 1986, Weston 474 et al (BRI, CNS, NSW); 
Kuranda, Feb 1922, White 1532 (BRI). 
Distribution and habitat: Polyscias purpurea 
is endemic to Queensland where it occurs in 
the Mcllwraith Range, and in the Wet Tropics 
bioregion of Queensland, between Cooktown 
and Tully (Map 5). It is an understorey 
species in evergreen notophyll rainforest in 
high rainfall areas. 
Notes: It can be distinguished by its complete 
lack of hairs on all plant parts, and the purple 
petals. 
9. Polyscias sambucifolia (DC.) Harms, 
Natur. Pflanzen. Ill, 8 (111): 45 (1894); 
Panax sambucifolius DC., Prodr. 4: 255 
Austrobaileya 9(3): 445-456 (2015) 
(1830); Nothopanax sambucifolia (DC.) 
K.Koch, Wochenschr. Gartnerei Pflanzenk. 
2: 77 (1859); Tieghemopanax sambucifolius 
(DC.) R.Vig., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 52: 
310 (1905). Types: New Holland, [in 1823], 
F. W. Sieber FI. Nov. Holl. n. 256 (syn: BM 
000810433; syn: BR 563114; syn: G-DC, 
microfiche!; syn: M 0172422; syn: M 0172423). 
Additional selected specimens examined : Queensland. 
Moreton District: Near White Swamp road, SSW of 
Boonah, Feb 1990, Bean 1365 (BRI, CANB); 6 km W 
of Mt Glorious, Dec 1995, Bean 9370 (BRI, NSW); 7 km 
NW of Springbrook on Ankida Nature Refuge, Jan 2005, 
Thompson MOR543 (BRI). Darling Downs District: 1.5 
km S of Christie Target, near Wallangarra, Dec 1989, 
Bean 1216 (BRI, NSW); South Bald Rock Swamp, E 
side near South Bald Rock, Girraween NP, Feb 1994, 
Grimshaw G422 & Robins (BRI). 
Distribution and habitat: In Queensland 
Polyscias sambucifolia is confined to the 
south-east corner, south from Mt Mee, above 
400 m altitude (Map 1). It is widespread in 
New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. It 
inhabits simple rainforest or wet sclerophyll 
eucalypt forest on a variety of soil types. 
Notes: Polyscias sambucifolia is a highly 
variable species for which a number of putative 
subspecies have been proposed (APNI 2015). 
None of these occur in Queensland where the 
species has relatively uniform morphology. 
10. Polyscias spectabilis (Harms) Lowry & 
G. M.Plunkett, PI. Divers. Evol. 128: 74 (2010); 
Peekeliopanax spectabilis Harms, Notizbl. 
Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 9: 478 (1926); 
Gastonia spectabilis (Harms) Philipson, 
Blumea 18: 494 (1970). Type: Papua New 
Guinea. New Ireland Province: Lamekot, 
Lamusong, in 1925, G. Peekel 1001 (holo: B, 
destroyed; iso: ?, n.v.). 
Illustrations: Cooper & Cooper (2004: 64); 
Hyland et al. (2010), as Gastonia spectabilis. 
Selected specimen examined : Queensland. Cook 
District: Cedar Bay NP, Gap Creek area, Jun 2005, 
Forster PIF31018 & Jensen (BRI, L, MEL, NSW). 
Distribution and habitat: In Australia, 
Polyscias spectabilis is confined to a 
single locality in the Gap Creek area near 
Bloomfield, Queensland (Map 4). It is 
however, widespread in New Guinea and 
adjacent islands (Philipson 1979). It is a 
