Crowea

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Crowea
Crowea exalata.jpg
Crowea exalata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Subfamily: Zanthoxyloideae
Genus: Crowea
Sm. [1]
Type species
Crowea saligna Andrews
Species
Synonyms [1]

Crowea is a genus of small evergreen shrubs in the family Rutaceae, sometimes known as waxflowers. There are three species and many subspecies and cultivars, all of which are popular as ornamentals because of their abundant, attractive flowers which often occur during autumn and winter. Crowea species are all endemic to Australia, where they occur in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. [2] [3]

Contents

Description

Croweas are evergreen shrubs to about 1.5 m tall. The leaves are simple, glabrous and, as with other members of the Rutaceae, have oil glands and are aromatic. [4] The flowers occur singly in the axils of the leaves, are pink and star-shaped have five petals, five sepals and ten stamens in two rings around the ovary. Crowea are closely related, and the flowers similar in appearance to those of other member of the family Rutaceae, especially Philotheca , Eriostemon and Boronia . [2]

Taxonomy and naming

The genus was described and named by James Edward Smith in 1798 [5] and was named "to honour James Crowe esq., F.L.S. of Lakenham, near Norwich, who died Jan 16, 1807 aged 56. This gentleman was extremely well versed in the botany of Britain, more especially in the genus Salix , to which he paid particular attention, having collected and cultivated all the species he could possibly procure. The specific name of the original species, Crowea saligna alludes to Mr. Crowe's merits in this department". [6]

The three species are accepted by the Australian Plant Census as at November 2020:

Propagation and cultivation

Croweas are hardy in cultivation, moderately tolerant of frost, growing best in a well-drained mulch in partial shade. Propagation is easiest from cuttings. [10]

Crowea is the title of a waltz composed 1919 by Western Australian musician Fred Barwick. [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Boronia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Boronia is a genus of about 160 species of flowering plants in the citrus family Rutaceae. Most are endemic to Australia with a few species in New Caledonia, which were previously placed in the genus Boronella. They occur in all Australian states but the genus is under review and a number of species are yet to be described or have the description published. Boronias are similar to familiar plants in the genera Zieria, Eriostemon and Correa but can be distinguished from them by the number of petals or stamens. Some species have a distinctive fragrance and are popular garden plants.

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

Darwinia, sometimes commonly known as mountain bells or simply bells, is a genus of about 70 species of evergreen shrubs in the family Myrtaceae, endemic to southeastern and southwestern Australia. The majority are native to southern Western Australia, but a few species occur in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. The genus was named in honour of Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles Darwin by Edward Rudge in 1816. Most darwinias grow to a height of between 0.2 and 3 m, and many are prostrate shrubs. Most have small, simple leaves and the flowers are often grouped together, each flower with five red, white or greenish petals and ten stamens. In many species, the flowers are surrounded by large, colourful bracts, giving rise to their common names.

<i>Geijera</i> Genus of flowering plants

Geijera is a genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rutaceae and are native to New Guinea, Australia and New Caledonia. They have simple leaves arranged alternately, panicles of bisexual flowers usually with five, sometimes four, sepals, petals and stamens and fruit containing shiny black seeds.

<i>Crowea saligna</i> Species of flowering plant

Crowea saligna, commonly known as willow-leaved crowea, is a plant in the rue family, Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern New South Wales in Australia. It is a small shrub with attractive, pink, star-shaped flowers and is commonly cultivated.

<i>Hakea salicifolia</i> Species of plant in the family Proteaceae endemic to eastern Australia

Hakea salicifolia commonly known as the willow-leaved hakea, is species of flowering plant that is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an adaptable, fast growing small tree or shrub with attractive foliage and cream white flowers.

<i>Crowea exalata</i> Species of flowering plant

Crowea exalata, commonly known as small crowea or waxflower, is a flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the states of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. It is an attractive small shrub and is a popular garden plant. It flowers mainly from late summer to mid-winter when few others are flowering but usually has some flowers at other times of the year.

<i>Billardiera scandens</i> Species of flowering plant

Billardiera scandens, commonly known as apple berry or apple dumpling, is a small shrub or twining plant of the Pittosporaceae family which occurs in forests in the coastal and tableland areas of all states and territories in Australia, apart from the Northern Territory and Western Australia. It has a silky touch and appearance that becomes more brittle as the dense growth matures. The inflorescence consists of single or paired yellow flowers, pink-tinged yellow sepals and bright yellow petals and is attached to a hairy drooping peduncle. The summer flush produces fruit of oblong berries up to 30 mm long, initially green in colour and covered in fine hair - somewhat akin to a tiny kiwifruit in appearance.

<i>Phebalium stenophyllum</i> Species of shrub

Phebalium stenophyllum, commonly known as narrow-leaved phebalium, is a species of small shrub that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has scaly branchlets, narrow oblong to more or less cylindrical leaves and yellow flowers in umbels of three to ten.

<i>Phebalium squamulosum</i> Species of shrub

Phebalium squamulosum , commonly known as scaly phebalium or forest phebalium, is a species of shrub or slender tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth branches covered with rust-coloured scales, linear to elliptical or egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and pale to bright yellow flowers in umbels with rust-coloured or silvery scales on the back.

<i>Phebalium nottii</i> Species of shrub

Phebalium nottii, commonly known as pink phebalium, is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has branchlets with silvery scales, oblong to elliptical leaves, deep pink to mauve flowers arranged in umbels of up to six, with the stamens distinctively offset to one side of the flower.

<i>Philotheca salsolifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Philotheca salsolifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It is a shrub with crowded, more or less cylindrical leaves and pink to mauve flowers with a dark central stripe and arranged singly or in twos or threes on the ends of branchlets.

<i>Androcalva fraseri</i> Species of tree

Androcalva fraseri, commonly known as blackfellow's hemp or brush kurrajong, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a small tree or shrub that forms suckers and has egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaves with serrated edges, and clusters of 13 to 21 white flowers.

<i>Ehretia saligna</i> Species of tree

Ehretia saligna, commonly known as peach bush, native willow and peachwood is a species of shrubs or small trees, endemic to Northern Australia. The natural range extends from the Gascoyne, across the Northern Territory throughout northern Queensland and coastal; regions of Southern Queensland and New South Wales.

<i>Crowea angustifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Crowea angustifolia is a flowering plant in the family Rutaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub growing to 3 m (10 ft) high by 1.0 m (3 ft) in diameter with white or pink flowers in spring.

<i>Melaleuca salicina</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca salicina, commonly known as willow bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to eastern Australia. Some Australian state herbaria continue to use the name Callistemon salignus, a name that is accepted by the Australian Plant Census. It is a shrub or small tree with soft foliage, pink new growth, white papery bark and spikes of usually white or creamy bottlebrush flowers in spring.

<i>Philotheca angustifolia</i> Species of plant

Philotheca angustifolia, commonly known as narrow-leaf wax flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with small leaves and white flowers with five egg-shaped petals in spring.

Paul Graham Wilson is an Australian botanist. As of 1998, Wilson was the most prolific contributor to the journal Nuytsia, contributing to the first issue in 1970 and to the 12th volume in 1998, which was dedicated to him for his contributions to plant taxonomy and to celebrate his 70th birthday. Since his retirement from the Western Australian Herbarium in 1993, he has helped to maintain a comprehensive census of the flora of Western Australia.

Leionema sympetalum, commonly known as Rylstone bell, is a shrub with greenish-yellow tubular flowers in small terminal clusters at the end of smooth, angular branches. It has a restricted distribution, grows near Rylstone in New South Wales.

<i>Leionema viridiflorum</i> Species of shrub

Leionema viridiflorum commonly known as green phebalium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae. It is a small shrub with pale yellow-greenish flowers in clusters at the end of branches from winter to early spring. It has a restricted distribution in northern New South Wales.

<i>Philotheca epilosa</i> Species of plant

Philotheca epilosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end toward the base and crowded near the ends of the glandular-warty branchlets, and white flowers usually arranged singly on the ends of the branchlets.

References

  1. 1 2 "Crowea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  2. 1 2 "The adaptable and rewarding Crowea". Australian Native Plants Society Australia. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  3. "Growing Native Plants - Crowea exalata". Australian National Botanic Gardens. 1973. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  4. "Flora of Australia online - Rutaceae". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  5. "Tropicos - Crowea (Sm.)". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  6. Wilkes, John (1825). Encyclopaedia Londinensis Volume XX. John Wilkes. p. 264. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  7. "Crowea angustifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  8. "Crowea exalata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  9. "Crowea saligna". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  10. Wrigley, John W; Fagg, Murray (2013). Australian native plants (6th ed.). Chatswood, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland. ISBN   9781921517150.
  11. Barwick, F. W (1920), Crowea (Australian wildflower) waltz for piano [music] / by F.W. Barwick, Nicholsons