88 
2000, Lyons 203 (BRI, CNS); S.F.R. 755, Gosschalk 
L.A., E.P./34, Nov 1976, Fitzsimon 241 (CNS); Topaz, 
Towalla road, Nov 2001, Cooper WWC1620 (BRI, CNS); 
Towalla, Coolamon Creek, May 2002, Booth 3113 & 
Jensen (BRI); N.RR. 904, Wooroonooran, c. 700 m S of 
Towalla Mine, along old logging track, Oct 2001, Ford 
AF3029 et al. (BRI); S.F.R. 650, Mt Fisher, c. 400 m SE 
of peak “1230”, Nov 2002, Ford AF3683 (CNS); 6 km 
SSW of Millaa Millaa, end of Whiting road, property 
D. & S. Clague, Dec 2000, Forster PIF26530 & Booth 
(BRI). North Kennedy District: S.F.R. 251, Koolmoon 
L.A., 1.5 km S of Coochimbeerum road. May 2001, Ford 
AF2861 (BRI); S.F.R. 251, Koolmoon L.A., 1.5 km S of 
Coochimbeerum road, off Tully Falls road, Koolmoon 
Creek, Nov 2002, Ford AF3700 & Holmes (BRI, CNS); 
Tableland L.A., 0.5 km S of Koolmoon Creek near 
junction of Ebony road and Tully Falls road, 6 km NW 
of Tully Falls, Oct 1988, Jessup GJM2666 et al. (BRI). 
Distribution and habitat : Morinda retropila 
is endemic to the Wet Tropics in north-eastern 
Queensland. It is currently known to occur 
from the Danbulla area on the Lamb Range to 
the Tully Falls area on the southern edge of the 
Atherton Tableland, with disjunct populations 
near Cape Tribulation (Mt Sorrow) and on the 
eastern foothills of Mt Bartle Frere (Map 2). 
It is recorded as growing in the wetter, simple 
to complex notophyll vine forest or complex 
mesophyll vine forest on substrates which 
range from basalt, mudstone, granite and 
rhyolite to granitic alluvium. Occurrences 
on rhyolite, granite, granitic alluvium and 
mudstone are less common, with M. retropila 
being most common on basalt. Common 
canopy trees on basaltic substrates include: 
Beilschmiedia bancroftii (F.M. Bailey) 
C.T.White, Cardwellia sublimis F.Muell., 
Castanospora alphandii (F.Muell.) F.Muell., 
Cryptocarya oblata F.M.Bailey, Doryphora 
aromatica (F. M. Bailey) L. S. Sm., Elaeocarpus 
largiflorens C.T.White subsp. largiflorens , 
Endiandra bessaphila B.Hyland, Ficus 
pleurocarpa F.Muell., Franciscodendron 
laurifolium (F.Muell.) B.Hyland & Steenis 
and Opisthiolepis heterophylla L.S.Sm. 
Common small trees and shrubs on basaltic 
substrates include: Antirhea tenuiflora 
F.Muell. ex Benth., Apodytes brachystylis 
F.Muell., Atractocarpus hirtus (F.Muell.) 
Puttock, Bubbia semecarpoides (F.Muell.) 
B.L.Burtt, Irvingbaileya australis (C.T.White) 
R.A.Howard, Niemeyeraprunifera (F.Muell.) 
F.Muell., Pilidiostigma tetramerum L.S.Sm., 
Symplocos hayesii C.T.White & W.D.Francis 
and Wilkiea angustifolia (F.M.Bailey) 
Austrobaileya 8(1): 81-90 (2009) 
J.R.Perkins. Although the altitude range is 
120-1200 m, M. retropila appears to be more 
common in the 600-1000 m band. 
Morinda retropila has been collected or 
reliably reported in the following REs: 7.3.10a 
(rarely), 7.3.36a (rarely), 7.8.1a (rarely), 7.8.2a 
(commonly), 7.8.4a (commonly), 7.11.12a 
(occasionally), 7.12.1a (rarely), 7.12.16a 
(occasionally). 
Phenology : Flowers have been recorded from 
October to January, whilst fruits have been 
recorded from February to July. 
Affinities: Morinda retropila is 
morphologically similar to M. canthoides 
and M. constipata. Morinda retropila differs 
from both in having a very pale and somewhat 
creamish in colour abaxial leaf surface. Both 
Morinda canthoides and M. constipata have 
green abaxial surfaces. Morinda retropila 
differs from the former in having chartaceous 
leaves that are narrow-elliptic or narrow-ovate 
(versus coriaceous leaves that are ovate to 
oblong-ovate for M. canthoides ), interlateral 
venation obscure on upper and lower leaf 
surfaces (versus interlateral venation raised 
for M. canthoides ), domatia lacking in axils 
of lateral veins (versus domatia present for 
M. canthoides) and young branchlets with 
retrorse hairs (versus spreading hairs for 
M. canthoides ). For features distinguishing 
M. retropila from M. constipata , refer to the 
Affinities’ section under that species. 
Razafimandimbison et al. (2009) have 
inferred a close phylogenetic relation¬ 
ship between Morinda retropila and 
M. jasminoides. Morinda retropila is easily 
distinguished from that species by having 
pedicellate flowers arranged in fascicles at the 
branchlet nodes (versus flowers always sessile 
in 5 to 10-flowered pedunculate capitula 
arranged in terminal and axillary umbels 
for M. jasminoides ), simple drupaceous 
fruits (versus compound syncarpous drupe 
for M. jasminoides ), corolla tube c. 3 mm 
long (versus corolla tube 4-6 mm long for 
M. jasminoides). domatia lacking in axils 
of lateral veins of leaves (versus crypt-type 
domatia for M. jasminoides). 
