| Darlingia ferruginea | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Darlingia |
| Species: | D. ferruginea |
| Binomial name | |
| Darlingia ferruginea | |
Darlingia ferruginea, commonly known as the brown silky oak, is a rainforest tree of the family Proteaceae from Northern Queensland.
Queensland botanist John Frederick Bailey described Darlingia ferruginea in 1899. [1] The species name is the Latin adjective ferruginea "rusty", and refers to the rust-coloured fur on the stems and leaves. [2]
Molecular analysis indicates Darlingia ferruginea and its relative D. darlingiana join Floydia prealta as members of the subtribe Floydiinae within the subfamily Grevilleoideae in the family Proteaceae. [3]
Common names include brown silky oak, rose silky oak, [1] and rusty silky oak. [4] Its everyday name in the local Dyirbal language was gurray, though a more general word gurruŋun "oak tree" (also applied to Cardwellia sublimis and Helicia australasica ) was used in the taboo [Dyalŋuy] vocabulary. [5]
Darlingia ferruginea grows as a tall tree in its native rainforest habitat, forming part of the canopy and reaching 30 m (100 ft) in height, though likely to only grow a third this size in cultivation. The trunk is not buttressed. [2] The initial leaves are entire but juvenile leaves are lobed, reaching 70 cm (28 in) long. The leaf veins and undersurface, and stems are covered with fine rust-coloured hairs. [2] Adult leaves are entire and measure 20-46 long by 5–21 cm wide. [4] Flowering is in winter and early spring, the inflorescences are 14–22 cm long. [6]
Darlingia ferruginea is found in montane rainforests from altitude 650 to 1300 m on the Atherton Tableland. [4]
Darlingia ferruginea has potential as a specimen tree in parks, and has showy flowers and foliage. It is readily propagated from seed or cuttings. [2]
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