Monkey Rope

Description:

Parsonsia straminea, commonly known as "monkey rope" and "common silkpod", is a woody vine of the dogbane family Apocynaceae, and is an Australian native. A known bush tucker plant, the roots and seed pods are edible, and it is also a valuable food source for all sorts of fauna. The fragrant pale whitish-yellow flowers are produced in panicles from November to June, peaking over February. These are followed by slender fruiting pods which are 10–20 cm (4–8 in) in length, which split to release the seed from September to December. The feathery seeds are carried by the wind and dispersed. Butterflies such as lesser wanderer and common crow lay eggs on the leaves which provide food for the larvae. Nectar is consumed by blue tiger, swamp tiger, varied eggfly, blue triangle, and varied dusky blue butterflies, as well as native bees and wasps, and I personally witnessed ants and flies on some of the flowers of this spotting. The flowers attract a wide variety of bird species, and possums eat the flowers and young leaves, and nest in the older vines. The stems grow to considerable diameter (over 10cm) and the vine can climb up to 40 metres into the canopy. They live to a great age and are capable of pulling down trees. Here's a large spotting in the same area one year later - https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/20...

Habitat:

Occurs along Australia's east coast, from northeastern Queensland south to southern NSW. It prefers to grow in well or partially shaded spots in rainforest and rainforest margins, as well as floodplains, on fertile basalt and sandstone-based soils. Toohey Forest is a remnant eucalyptus woodland reserve of approximately 655 hectares. The forest is situated within an urban area on the south side of Brisbane, within the city limits. This vine was spotted along the bush tracks running off the main Toohey Ridge Track.

Notes:

Guide to the plants of Toohey Forest - https://tooheyforesteec.eq.edu.au/wp-con...