Table 1.
Summary of the concentration of cyanogenic glycosides in leaves and other plant tissues from cyanogenic species found in six plots in upland/highland (U) and lowland (L) tropical rainforest at five sites: high nutrient basalt sites at Lamins Hill (B1) and Longlands Gap (B2), and low nutrient sites on granite at Mt Nomico (G), on rhyolite at Longlands Gap (R) and on metamorphic substrate near Cape Tribulation (M)
| Concentration of cyanogenic glycosides in different plant parts (mg CN g−1 d. wt) |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form | Species | Family | Forest | Site | Leaf | Stem | Floral parts | Fruit/seed |
| H | Alocasia brisbanensis (F.M.Bailey) Domin* | Araceae | U | B1 | – | – | – | – |
| T | Beilschmiedia collina B.Hyland | Lauraceae | U | B1, B2, G, R | Old: 28·4–1263 (n = 36) | – | – | – |
| Yg: 1039–1391 | ||||||||
| T | Brombya platynema F.Muell. | Rutaceae | L | M | 156·4–1285 (n = 20) | – | – | – |
| 0–10·5 (n = 27) | ||||||||
| T | Cardwellia sublimis F.Muell. | Proteaceae | U, L | B1, B1, G, R, M | Old:11·5–69·8 (n = 21) | – | Bud: 779–851 | Seed: approx.8 |
| Yg: 733·1, tips: 219·1 | Flwr: 130–334 | |||||||
| T | Cleistanthus myrianthus (Hassk.) Kurz | Euphorbiaceae | L | M | Old: 1·1–17·3 (n = 41) | – | Flwr: 30·7 | Mature: 160–377 |
| Yg: 78·4–80·4 (n = 3) | Immature: 821 | |||||||
| T | Clerodendrum grayi Munir | Verbenaceae | U | B1, B2, G | Old: 1325–4800 (n = 6) | – | Bud: 733 | – |
| Flwr 440–942 | ||||||||
| T | Elaeocarpus sericopetalus F.Muell. | Elaeocarpaceae | U | G, R | 1100–5056 (n = 10) | Sdlg: 1739–2679 | – | 1028 |
| Tree: 135 | ||||||||
| V | Embelia grayi S.T.Reynolds | Myrsinaceae | U | B1, B2 | 10–81 (n = 3) | – | – | – |
| V | Flagellaria indica L. | Flagellariaceae | U, L | B1, G, M | 11–177·3 (n = 6) | – | – | – |
| T | Helicia australasica F.Muell. | Proteaceae | L | M | 42·2–155·2 (n = 8)† | – | – | – |
| T | Helicia blakei Foreman | Proteaceae | U | B1 | Mean: 17·9 (n = 2) | – | – | – |
| T | Helicia nortoniana (F.M.Bailey) F.M.Bailey* | Proteaceae | L | M | – | – | – | – |
| V | Passiflora sp. (Kuranda BH12896) | Passifloraceae | L | M | 313–922 (n = 4) | – | – | – |
| T | Mischocarpus exangulatus (F.Muell.) Radlk. | Sapindaceae | U | B1 | Old: 133; yg: 222 (n = 1) | – | – | – |
| T | Mischocarpus grandissimus (F.Muell.) Radlk. | Sapindaceae | U, L | G, M | 49–680 (n = 2) 761–2006 (n = 4)‡ | – | – | – |
| T | Opisthiolepis heterophylla L.S.Sm. | Proteaceae | U | B1, B2 | Old: 10–208 (n = 7) | – | – | – |
| Yg: 2000 | ||||||||
| V | Parsonsia latifolia (Benth.) S.T.Blake | Apocynaceae | U | B1, G, R | 765–4835 (n = 3) | – | – | – |
| T | Polyscias australiana (F.Muell.) Philipson | Araliaceae | U, L | B1, B2, G, R, M | Old: <6·8 (n = 30); 10–28·5 (n = 16) | – | – | – |
| Yg: 10·8–29·6; tips: 259 | ||||||||
| T | Prunus turneriana (F.M.Bailey) Kalkman | Rosaceae | U, L | B1, M | old: 2472–4888 (n = 4) | 560–1100 (n = 2) | – | Mature seed: 400 |
| Yg: 3128–6464; Tip: 6000–8498 | Root: approx. 2000 | Yg fruit/seed: 8950 | ||||||
| T | Ryparosa javanica (Blume) Kurz ex Koord. & Valeton** | Achariaceae | L | M | 1749 (n = 2) | – | – | Mature seed: 5430 |
| Yg lf: 2560 (n = 5) | Yg seed: 7760 (n = 5) | |||||||
Means and ranges of cyanogenic glycosides concentration are given for fully expanded (old) leaves where not specified, and for some young (yg) leaves, for n individuals. Life form: herb (H), tree (T), vine (V). Cyanogenic glycoside concentrations were measured as evolved cyanide, following hydrolysis of freeze-dried tissue, without the addition of non-specific β-glycosidase (e.g. emulsin/pectinase).
Alocasia brisbanensis (a herb), and Helicia nortoniana which occurred outside the plots, were not included in the analysis, nor sampled for quantitative analysis.
Concentrations of cyanogenic glycosides in seed, flower and young leaves of Ryparosa javanica determined by B. L. Webber (unpubl data, 2004; Webber and Woodrow, 2004).
Only one individual of Helicia australasica occurred within the plots; seven additional saplings/trees were opportunistically tested external to the plots; all were cyanogenic.
Only one individual of Mischocarpus grandissimus occurred inside plots at Mt Nomico; additional individuals were sampled outside plots, including four in lowland rainforest, all were cyanogenic.