Correa alba

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White correa
Correa Alba RTBG.jpg
In the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Correa
Species:
C. alba
Binomial name
Correa alba
Synonyms [1]
  • Correa cotinifolia Salisb. nom. illeg.
Correa alba 'St Andrews' Correa alba 'St Andrews'.jpg
Correa alba 'St Andrews'

Correa alba, commonly known as white correa, [2] is a species of shrub that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has egg-shaped to more or less circular leaves, erect white flowers arranged singly or in groups on short side branches, and green fruit.

Contents

Description

Correa alba is a prostrate to spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) and has rust-coloured, woolly-hairy young stems. The leaves are leathery, elliptic to more or less round, 8–35 mm (0.31–1.38 in) long and 6–25 mm (0.24–0.98 in) wide on a petiole 0.5–1.5 mm (0.020–0.059 in) long. The lower side of the leaves is densely covered with woolly hairs. The flowers are arranged singly or in groups of up to five on the ends of short side branches on pedicels 0.5–5 mm (0.020–0.197 in) long. The calyx is cup-shaped or hemispherical and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long with four lobes. The petals are white, rarely pale pink, 11–13 mm (0.43–0.51 in) long, woolly hairy on the back and spreading more or less free from each other. The eight stamens are shorter than the petals. Flowering mainly occurs from April to June and the fruit is 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long and green. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Correa alba was first formally described by Henry Cranke Andrews in 1798 in his book,The Botanist's Repository for New, and Rare Plants. [5] [6]

The Australian Plant Census accepts the names of two varieties:

Distribution and habitat

White correa occurs in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. In New South Wales it grows in sandy and rocky areas in near coastal areas south from Port Stephens. In Victoria it is common in coastal heath and woodland, extending to the far south east of South Australia. In Tasmania it is common on exposed rocky and sandy areas on the north and east coasts. [2] [3] [4] [10]

Variety alba occurs from Port Stephens and along the coasts of New South Wales and as far west as Cape Otway in Victoria. It is also the variety occurring in Tasmania. Variety pannosa is found along the south-west coast of Victoria and as far east as the Encounter Bay region of South Australia. [9]

Ecology

Wombats have been known to eat the leaves and roots. [11]

Uses

In horticulture

Correa alba is a hardy species in well-drained situations and withstands coastal exposure. A position in full sun is best for flowering, but it can also be grown in part shade. It may be used to create an informal hedge or as a container plant. [12]

In food

The 1889 book 'The Useful Native Plants of Australia records that common names included " Cape Barren Tea" in Tasmania, and that "The leaves of this plant have been used by the sealers on the islands in Bass's Straits as a substitute for tea." [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Correa</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Correa is a genus of eleven species of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae that are endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Correa are shrubs to small trees with simple leaves arranged in opposite pairs, bisexual flowers with four sepals, four petals usually fused for most of their length and eight stamens.

<i>Correa lawrenceana</i> Species of flowering plant

Correa lawrenceana, commonly known as mountain correa, is a species of shrub or small tree of the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Australia. It has elliptical to egg-shaped leaves arranged in opposite pairs and cylindrical, greenish yellow to red flowers usually arranged singly or in groups of up to seven in leaf axils with the stamens protruding beyond the end of the corolla.

<i>Correa glabra</i> Species of plant

Correa glabra, commonly known as the rock correa, is a species of tall, erect shrub that is endemic to Australia. It usually has elliptical, mostly glabrous leaves and pendent, pale green to pale yellow flowers arranged singly on short side shoots.

<i>Correa backhouseana</i> Species of plant

Correa backhouseana is a species of rounded shrub that is endemic to coastal and near-coastal areas of southern Australia. It has elliptical to egg-shaped or round leaves that are densely hairy on the lower surface, and cylindrical to funnel-shaped, cream-coloured to pale green or red and yellow flowers.

<i>Correa decumbens</i> Species of plant

Correa decumbens, commonly known as the spreading correa, is a species of prostrate to spreading shrub that is endemic to South Australia. It has narrow oblong to narrow elliptical leaves and narrow cylindrical, pink to red flowers with green lobes.

<i>Correa lawrenceana <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> grampiana</i> Variety of flowering plant

Correa lawrenceana var. grampiana, commonly known as Grampians mountain-correa, is a variety of Correa lawrenceana that is endemic to Victoria, Australia. It is a shrub with elliptical leaves and cylindrical, velvety flowers covered with matted, woolly cream-coloured to yellowish brown hairs.

<i>Pomaderris oraria</i> Species of shrub

Pomaderris oraria, commonly known as Bassian dogwood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a compact shrub with hairy branchlets, hairy, elliptic leaves and panicles of hairy, greenish to cream-coloured or crimson-tinged flowers.

<i>Pomaderris lanigera</i> Species of flowering plant

Pomaderris lanigera, commonly known as woolly pomaderris, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with hairy stems, lance-shaped to egg-shaped or elliptic leaves, and hemispherical clusters of yellow flowers.

<i>Persoonia juniperina</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia juniperina, commonly known as prickly geebung, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a small erect to low-lying shrub with smooth bark, hairy new branches, linear leaves, yellow flowers borne singly or in groups of up to forty in leaf axils, and yellowish green to purplish fruit.

<i>Pomaderris elliptica</i> Species of shrub

Pomaderris elliptica, commonly known as yellow dogwood or smooth pomaderris, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with densely hairy branchlets, egg-shaped or elliptic leaves, and pale yellow flowerss.

<i>Boronia wilsonii</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia wilsonii is an erect shrub that is endemic to northern Australia. Its branches, leaves and backs of the flowers are densely covered with woolly hairs. The petals are white to pink or burgundy-coloured.

<i>Correa lawrenceana <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> cordifolia</i> Variety of flowering plant

Correa lawrenceana var. cordifolia, commonly known as the pink mountain-correa, is a variety of Correa lawrenceana and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with leathery, broadly egg-shaped to heart-shaped leaves, and pink flowers with yellowish tips arranged singly or in groups of two or three in leaf axils.

<i>Correa lawrenceana <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> glandulifera</i> Variety of flowering plant

Correa lawrenceana var. glandulifera, commonly known as the mountain correa, is a variety of Correa lawrenceana and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with egg-shaped leaves and greenish yellow flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to five with woolly hairs on the outside.

<i>Correa lawrenceana <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> latrobeana</i> Variety of flowering plant

Correa lawrenceana var. latrobeana is a variety of Correa lawrenceana that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with elliptical to egg-shaped leaves and cylindrical, greenish-yellow or reddish-mauve flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to seven in leaf axils or on the ends of branchlets.

<i>Correa lawrenceana <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> lawrenceana</i> Variety of flowering plant

Correa lawrenceana var. lawrenceana is the implicit autonym of Correa lawrenceana and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a shrub with papery, oblong leaves and pale green, narrow cylindrical flowers arranged singly on the ends of branchlets.

Correa lawrenceana var. macrocalyx is a variety of Correa lawrenceana and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a shrub with leathery, egg-shaped to broadly egg-shaped leaves, and cylindrical, greenish yellow flowers arranged in leaf axils or on the ends of short branchlets.

Correa lawrenceana var. rosea is a variety of Correa lawrenceana that is endemic to the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. It is a shrub with narrow elliptical leaves and narrow cylindrical flowers that are pink or dull red with green lobes and covered with small, compact star-shaped hairs.

<i>Goodenia benthamiana</i> Species of plant

Goodenia benthamiana, commonly known as small-leaf goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an aromatic undershrub with stem-clasping, egg-shaped to elliptic leaves with toothed edges, and yellow flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to three in leaf axils, with leaf-like bracteoles at the base.

<i>Pomaderris elachophylla</i> Species of shrub

Pomaderris elachophylla, commonly known as lacy pomaderris, small leaf pomaderris or small-leaf dogwood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a slender shrub with densely hairy branchlets, egg-shaped leaves, and cream-coloured flowers arranged singly or in clusters in leaf axils.

<i>Olearia lepidophylla</i> Species of flowering plant

Olearia lepidophylla, commonly known as club-moss daisy-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is a rigid, erect to spreading shrub with tiny oblong to egg-shaped leaves and white and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.

References

  1. 1 2 "Correa alba". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Porteners, Marianne F.; Weston, Peter H. "Correa alba Andrews". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 Duretto, Marco F. "Correa alba". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Correa alba". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  5. "Correa alba". APNI. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  6. Andrews, Henry C. (1798). The Botanist's Repository for New, and Rare Plants. London: Henry C. Andrews. p. 18. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  7. "Correa alba var. alba". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  8. "Correa alba var. pannosa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  9. 1 2 Wilson, Paul G. (1961). "A taxonomic revision of the Genus Correa". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 85: 38–40. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  10. Jordan, Greg. "Correa alba". University of Tasmania. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  11. Benson, Doug; McDougall, Lyn (2001). "Ecology of Sydney plant species Part 8: Dicotyledon families Rutaceae to Zygophyllaceae". Cunninghamia. 7 (2). Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  12. Greig, D. (1987). The Australian Gardener's Wildflower Catalogue. Australia: Angus & Robertson. ISBN   0207154600.
  13. J. H. Maiden (1889). The useful native plants of Australia : Including Tasmania. Turner and Henderson, Sydney.