Australina is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Urticaceae (the nettle family), order Rosales. It comprises approximately two to five species of annual or perennial herbs that are monoecious — bearing separate male and female flowers on the same plant or in different axillary clusters on the same individual.
Plants in this genus have alternate leaves that are toothed to nearly entire, with free lateral stipules. Male flowers are characterised by a two-lipped perianth enclosing a single stamen. Female flowers have an urn-shaped perianth that is more or less toothed; the ovary is enclosed within the perianth, and the stigma is linear, often short and hairy or brush-like. The fruit is an achene enclosed by — but not fused to — the perianth.
The genus is distributed across southern and eastern Africa (including north-eastern and eastern tropical Africa) and Australasia, with one or two species occurring in Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania) and representation in New Zealand. The best-known species is Australina pusilla (Poir.) Gaudich., which is the sole representative in New South Wales.
Distribution
Australina occurs in north-eastern and eastern tropical Africa, southern Africa, New Zealand, and Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania). The genus comprises approximately five species worldwide, with one or two represented in Australia.
Taxonomy Notes
Australina is placed in the family Urticaceae, order Rosales, and is accepted as a distinct genus in the GBIF taxonomic backbone. The genus was described by Gaudichaud-Beaupré; the type species Australina pusilla carries the authorship (Poir.) Gaudich., indicating it was originally described by Poiret and later combined into Australina by Gaudichaud.
