Smooth lomatia | |
---|---|
Lomatia arborescens in Mount Kaputar National Park | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Proteales |
Family: | Proteaceae |
Genus: | Lomatia |
Species: | L. arborescens |
Binomial name | |
Lomatia arborescens | |
Occurrence data from AVH with cultivated specimens removed | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Lomatia arborescens, commonly known as smooth lomatia or tree lomatia, is a shrub or small tree that grows at high altitudes, in and near rainforests. It is found north from the Barrington Tops area in eastern Australia. [2]
Lomatia arborescens grows as a large shrub or small tree to 10 m (35 ft) high, with greyish brown bark. The smooth leaves are oval to spear-shaped (lanceolate) and measure 3 to 15 cm (1.2–6 in) in length by 1.5 to 6 cm (0.6-2.2 in) wide—generally larger and with serrated leaf margins in sheltered spots and smaller with entire margins in exposed locations. A network of veins can be seen on the upper surface of the leaves. [3]
The white flowers grow in racemes that arise from axillary buds, appearing over the summer. [3]
Lomatia arborescens was first formally described in 1937 by Lilian Fraser and Joyce Winifred Vickery, from a specimen collected by them on 12 January 1934 in rainforest along the Williams River. [4] The species name is derived from the Latin arbor, "tree", hence, "tree-like". [5]
George Bentham had described Lomatia longifolia var arborescens as a variety of Lomatia longifolia (now Lomatia myricoides ) in his 1870 work Flora Australiensis , describing it as a "small tree of 20 to 25 ft" from the "Sydney woods". [6] The identity of this form is unclear, with Alexander Floyd stating it was L. arborescens and the authors of Flora of Australia identifying it as L. myricoides. [7]
It was mistakenly called L. ilicifolia by Queensland botanist Frederick Manson Bailey in his 1901 work Queensland Flora. [4] [8]
Analysis of chloroplast DNA showed that there is extensive hybridization between the five species (L. arborescens, L. fraseri, L. ilicifolia, L. myricoides and L. silaifolia ) of mainland southeastern Australia, though each is distinct enough to warrant species status. [9]
Lomatia arborescens is found from southern Queensland southwest to Mount Kaputar National Park and south to Barrington Tops. It grows in rainforest and rainforest margins. [3]
Lomatia arborescens adapts readily to cultivation with a sunny or part-shaded aspect. [5] Horticulturally, it is of potential because of its attractive leaves rather than its flowers, which are not prominent. In cultivation, it requires some degree of moisture. [8]
Lomatia is a genus of 12 species of evergreen flowering plants in the protea family Proteaceae. Within the family, they have been placed, alone, in their own subtribe, Lomatiinae according to Johnson & Briggs 1975 classification of the family and subsequently in Flora of Australia (1995).
Grevillea longifolia, commonly known as fern-leaf spider flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the Sydney Basin in New South Wales. It is an erect to spreading shrub with narrowly egg-shaped to almost linear leaves, and toothbrush-like groups of pinkish-fawn flowers with a pink to red style. It is fairly readily grown in gardens.
Brachychiton acerifolius is a large tree of the family Malvaceae endemic to tropical and subtropical regions on the east coast of Australia. It is famous for the bright red bell-shaped flowers that often cover the whole tree when it is leafless. It is commonly known as the flame tree, Illawarra flame tree, lacebark tree, or kurrajong.
Syncarpia glomulifera, commonly known as the turpentine tree, or yanderra, is a tree of the family Myrtaceae native to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia, which can reach 60 metres in height. It generally grows on heavier soils. The cream flowers appear in spring and are fused into compound flowerheads.
Lomatia fraseri, commonly known as tree lomatia, forest lomatia or silky lomatia is a plant of the family Proteaceae native to eastern Australia. It grows as a shrub or small tree, reaching 8–11 metres (26–36 ft) high, with highly variable leaves. The cream to white inflorescences appear over summer. It is found in rainforest margins, gullies and heathland in mountainous regions of Victoria and New South Wales. It regenerates from fire by regrowing from a lignotuber.
Auranticarpa is a genus of trees in the family Pittosporaceae. All six species occur in monsoonal forest and rainforest margins in Northern Australia. The species, all formerly included in the genus Pittosporum, are as follows:
Xanthostemon chrysanthus, the golden penda or first love, is a species of tree in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, endemic to north eastern Queensland, Australia. It is a popular garden plant with showy yellow blooms.
Atractocarpus benthamianus is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae growing in eastern Australia. It is an understorey species of subtropical and tropical rainforest on fertile soils. The natural range of distribution is from Forster, New South Wales to central Queensland. This plant features beautifully scented flowers.
Grevillea pteridifolia is a species of Grevillea native to Australia. Common names include silky grevillea, Darwin silky oak, ferny-leaved silky oak, fern-leaved grevillea, golden grevillea, golden tree and golden parrot tree. It occurs in Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland.
Grevillea shiressii is an Australian shrub of the family Proteaceae endemic to New South Wales, where it is found in only two localities near Gosford.
Pentaceras australe, commonly known as bastard crow's ash, penta ash or black teak, is the only species in the genus Pentaceras in the plant family Rutaceae. It is a small to medium-sized rainforest tree endemic to eastern Australia. It has pinnate leaves with up to fifteen leaflets, small white flowers arranged in panicles on the ends of branchlets, and winged seeds.
Alchornea ilicifolia, commonly known as the native holly is a bush of eastern Australia. Growing in or on the edges of the drier rainforests, from Jamberoo, New South Wales to Atherton, Queensland.
Lomatia ilicifolia, commonly known as holly lomatia or native holly, is a plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a stiff, erect shrub with hairy, rust-coloured new growth and which recovers from fire from a lignotuber. It has dull green, leathery, prickly, holly-like leaves and long sprays of cream flowers, usually after fire.
Callerya megasperma, also known as native wisteria, is a species of vine in the family Fabaceae native to eastern Australia. It was initially described as Wistaria megasperma by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1859 from a specimen collected at Richmond River.
Lomatia silaifolia, commonly known as crinkle bush or parsley fern, is a plant of the family, Proteaceae native to eastern Australia. Naturally found in open forest, it grows as a small shrub 1–2 m high with highly pinnate leaves reminiscent of parsley. The white inflorescences appear in summer.
Lomatia myricoides, commonly known as the river lomatia, is a shrub native to New South Wales and Victoria in southeastern Australia.
Persoonia falcata, commonly known as the wild pear, is a shrub native to northern Australia.
Olearia canescens is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with scattered elliptic or egg-shaped leaves, and white and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.
Muellerina myrtifolia, common name myrtle-leaved mistletoe, is a hemiparasitic arial shrub in the family Loranthaceae. The species is endemic to New South Wales and Queensland.
Liparis coelogynoides, commonly known as the fairy sphinx orchid, is a plant in the orchid family and is endemic to near-coastal eastern Australia. It is an epiphytic orchid with two leaves joined at the base and that grows in clumps. Greenish white or yellowish flowers are borne on an often hanging spike. It grows on trees and cliff faces usually on ranges near the coast of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.