Strychnos minor, commonly known as snakewood, is a plant in the family Loganiaceae found in tropical areas from India through southeast Asia to New Guinea and Australia. It was first described in 1818.
Description
Strychnos minor is a woody vine growing up to 12 m (39 ft) long and a stem diameter up to 7 cm (2.8 in). The leaves are simple and arranged in opposite pairs on the stems. They have three conspicuous veins arising from the base of the leaf and numerous lateral veins between them in a ladder-like arrangement. Small flowers about 5 mm (0.2 in) long are produced in the leaf axils and are followed by yellow globular fruit about 2.5 cm (1.0 in) diameter, containing up to four flat pale brown seeds.[4][5][6][7]
Taxonomy
The species was first described by German botanist August Wilhelm Dennstedt in 1818, and published in Schlüssel zum Hortus Indicus Malabaricus, oder dreifaches Register zu diesem Werke.[8]
Malesia – Sumatera, Borneo, Sulawesi, Philippines, Lesser Sunda Islands, Maluku
Papuasia – New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands
Australia – Northern Territory (Tiwi Islands), Queensland
It inhabits gallery forest and rainforest at altitudes from sea level to about 1,500 m (4,900 ft).[4][5][7] In the Tiwi Islands it is associated with permanent springs and spring-fed water bodies.[6]
