Alyxia oblongata, commonly known as the chain fruit, prickly lixy, or prickly Alyxia, is a plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae endemic to a small part of northeastern Queensland.
Alyxia oblongata is an evergreen shrub growing up to 3 m (9.8 ft) high.[4] The dark glossy green leaves are borne in whorls of three or four on the twigs, and measure about 3.5 by 1 cm (1.38 by 0.39 in).[4] They are elliptic with a sharp, rigid tip and have up to 20 lateral veins.[4]
The flowers are typical of the family, being white with five sepals and petals and a long corolla tube. They measure about 13 mm (0.51 in) long and 17 mm (0.67 in) diameter.[4][5] The fruit are orange/red in colour and may be moniliform, i.e. with the appearance of a string of beads.[4]
This species was first described in 1928 by the Czech botanist Karel Domin, who published his description in Bibliotheca Botanica. In 1992 the Australian botanist Paul Forster redefined it as a subspecies of Alyxia ruscifolia, namely A.r. ssp. major, however this combination is no longer accpted by most authorities.[2][3][6]
The genus name Alyxia is derived from the Greek language word álysos, "chain", which refers to the chain-like appearance of the fruit. The species epithet oblongata is from "oblong" and again refers to the appearance of the fruit.[7]
The chain fruit is endemic to northeastern Queensland, from near Cooktown to the southern Atherton Tablelands. It grows in rainforest on volcanic soils of various types, at altitudes from 100 m (330 ft) to 1,000 m (3,300 ft).[4][5]
This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern.[1] As of 28 January 2023, it has not been assessed by the IUCN.
Alyxia oblongata, commonly known as the chain fruit, prickly lixy, or prickly Alyxia, is a plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae endemic to a small part of northeastern Queensland.