Brachychiton populneus

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Kurrajong
Brachychiton populneus tree.jpg
A large adult kurrajong, B. populneus, in regional NSW, Australia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Brachychiton
Species:
B. populneus
Binomial name
Brachychiton populneus
(Schott & Endl.) R.Br.

Brachychiton populneus, commonly known as the kurrajong, [1] is a small to medium-sized tree found naturally in Australia in a diversity of habitats from wetter coastal districts to semi-arid interiors of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Carrejun and carrejan were the indigenous names of trees in the foothills of the Blue Mountains near Sydney, and the bark was used for twine and fishing lines. [2] The extended trunk is a water storage device for survival in a warm dry climate. The bell-shaped flowers are variable in colour (pale to pink) while the leaves vary considerably in shape. The leaves are either simple and pointed, or may be 3–9 lobed. Saplings grow from a drought and fire resistant tap-rooted tuber.

Contents

The kurrajong has multiple uses and was used by many Australian Aboriginal clans and tribes around Australia. The seeds located in a seed pod were often removed, cleaned of the fine hairs within the seed pod, and roasted. [3] Water could be obtained from the tree roots by boring a hole in the trunk and squeezing the wood. [4] There are also records of the seed pods being turned into a children's rattle or toy. The soft spongy wood was used for making shields, and the bark as a fibre. The leaves are also used as emergency fodder for drought-affected animal stock. There are also records of European settlers using the seeds as a coffee supplement by roasting and crushing the seeds. [3]

It has been introduced as an ornamental tree to south-western Australia, South Africa, Louisiana, California, Arizona and Mediterranean countries. In Western Australia it was observed to be an invasive in disturbed areas.

Horticulturists have hybridised the kurrajong with related Brachychiton species, including the Queensland bottle tree ( B. rupestris ) and Illawarra flame tree ( B. acerifolius ) to produce new garden ornamentals.[ citation needed ]

The specific name Brachychiton populneus pertains to a perceived similarity to the Populus genus, i.e. the poplars. Sometimes B. populneus is also known by the names "lacebark kurrajong" and "bottle tree" (USA). However, B. discolor is also referred to as the lacebark kurrajong, and Bottle Tree is a term commonly applied not only to other species of Brachychiton but to members of other genera around the world.

kurrajong flowers in Gran Canaria Kurrajong flowers in Gran Canaria.jpg
kurrajong flowers in Gran Canaria

The kurrajong has been recorded as a host plant for the mistletoe species Dendrophthoe glabrescens . [5]

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<i>Brachychiton acerifolius</i> Species of tree in the family Malvaceae

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<i>Brachychiton rupestris</i> Tree in the family Malvaceae native to Queensland, Australia

Brachychiton rupestris is a tree in the family Malvaceae, endemic to Queensland, Australia. Described by Sir Thomas Mitchell and John Lindley in 1848, it earned its name from its bulbous trunk, which can be up to 3.5 metres (11 ft) in diameter at breast height (DBH). Reaching around 10–25 metres (33–82 ft) high, the Queensland bottle tree is deciduous, losing its leaves seasonally, between September and December. The leaves are simple or divided, with one or more narrow leaf blades up to 11 centimetres (4 in) long and 2 centimetres (0.8 in) wide. Cream-coloured flowers appear from September to November, and are followed by woody, boat-shaped follicles that ripen from November to May. No subspecies are recognised.

<i>Acacia implexa</i> Species of plant

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<i>Eucalyptus melliodora</i> Species of eucalyptus

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<i>Acacia pendula</i> Species of legume

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<i>Acacia stenophylla</i> Species of tree

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<i>Angophora floribunda</i> Species of tree

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<i>Brachychiton discolor</i> Species of tree

Brachychiton discolor is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It grows in drier rainforest areas. Scattered from Paterson, New South Wales to Mackay, Queensland. There is also an isolated community of these trees at Cape York Peninsula.

<i>Brachychiton gregorii</i> Species of plant

Brachychiton gregorii, commonly known as the desert kurrajong, is a small tree of the genus Brachychiton found in northern and western Australia. It was originally classified in the family Sterculiaceae, which is now within Malvaceae.

<i>Eucalyptus albens</i> Species of plant

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<i>Eucalyptus alba</i> Species of plant

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<i>Brachychiton megaphyllus</i> Species of tree

Brachychiton megaphyllus, commonly known as the red-flowering kurrajong, is a tree of the genus Brachychiton found in northern Australia.

Lacebark tree is a common name for several plants with a inner lace-like layer of the inner bark, and may refer to:

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References

  1. Floyd, A.G., Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, 1989, p391
  2. Sarskens G. People of the River , 2020, p180
  3. 1 2 Low, Tim (1988). Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus & Robertson. p. 183. ISBN   0-207-14383-8.
  4. Ngarigo Plant Use in the snow River Catchment
  5. Downey, Paul O. (1998). "An inventory of host species for each aerial mistletoe species (Loranthaceae and Viscaceae) in Australia" (PDF). Cunninghamia. 5 (3): 685–720. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-26.