Lomatia ilicifolia

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Lomatia ilicifolia
Lomatia ilicifolia leaves and flowers.jpg
Lomatia ilicifolia (cultivated) in Ku-Ring-Gai Wildflower Garden (N.S.W.)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Lomatia
Species:
L. ilicifolia
Binomial name
Lomatia ilicifolia
Synonyms

Embothrium ilicifolium(R.Br.) Poir.Tricondylus ilicifolius(R.Br.) Kuntze nom. rej.

Contents

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.

Description

Lomatia ilicifolia is a stiff, erect shrub which grows to a height of 0.5–3 m (2–10 ft) and has its young foliage and flower buds covered with rust-coloured hairs. The leaves are dull green, leathery and holly-like, mostly glabrous and egg-shaped to lance-shaped or elliptic. They are 6–20 cm (2–8 in) long, 2.5–3.5 cm (0.98–1.4 in) wide, have sharp teeth along their edges and a prominent network of veins. [2] [3] [4] [5]

The flowers are arranged on the ends of the stems in a spike-like panicle or raceme 15–30 cm (6–10 in) long, each flower on a stalk 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long. The flowers are white or cream-coloured, 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long and more or less glabrous. Flowering occurs from November to February, usually following fire the previous summer, and is followed about three months later by the fruit which is a dark brown, leathery follicle 15–30 mm (0.6–1 in) long containing about ten winged seeds. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Lomatia ilicifolia after fire in Bunyip State Park in Victoria Lomatia ilicifolia.jpg
Lomatia ilicifolia after fire in Bunyip State Park in Victoria

Hybrids with L. myricoides , L. silaifolia and L. fraseri occasionally occur where these species grow near L. ilicifolia. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Lomatia ilicifolia was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown from a specimen collected near Port Phillip. The description was published in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. [1]

The specific epithet (ilicifolia) is derived from the Latin words ilex, ilicis meaning "holm-oak, a genus of the holly family" [6] :417 and folium meaning "leaf". [6] :340

Distribution and habitat

Native holly is widespread and locally common in south-eastern Victoria where it grows in heath or woodland, sometimes in montane forests, from the Otway Ranges eastward to Gippsland. In New South Wales it grows in sclerophyll forest on the coast and nearby ranges south of Moss Vale. [2] [3] [4]

Ecology

Native holly attracts nectar-feeding butterflies. [5]

Use in horticulture

This lomatia is a hardy, slow-growing plant with interesting foliage, well-displayed flowers and attractive fruit. It is frost-tolerant and grows in full sun or partial shade. [5] [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Banksia ilicifolia</i> Tree in the family Proteaceae endemic to southwest Western Australia

Banksia ilicifolia, commonly known as holly-leaved banksia, is a tree in the family Proteaceae. Endemic to southwest Western Australia, it belongs to Banksia subg. Isostylis, a subgenus of three closely related Banksia species with inflorescences that are dome-shaped heads rather than characteristic Banksia flower spikes. It is generally a tree up to 10 metres (33 ft) tall with a columnar or irregular habit. Both the scientific and common names arise from the similarity of its foliage to that of the English holly Ilex aquifolium; the glossy green leaves generally have very prickly serrated margins, although some plants lack toothed leaves. The inflorescences are initially yellow but become red-tinged with maturity; this acts as a signal to alert birds that the flowers have opened and nectar is available.

<i>Grevillea australis</i> Species of plant in the family Protaceae from Tasmania andsouth-eastern mainland Australia

Grevillea australis, commonly known as alpine grevillea or southern grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a spreading to prostrate shrub with simple, narrowly egg-shaped leaves and groups of white to pale pink flowers with a glabrous ovary.

<i>Lomatia fraseri</i> Plant of the family Proteaceae native to eastern Australia

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.

<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>Grevillea shiressii</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to New South Wales, Australia

Grevillea shiressii is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to New South Wales where it is found in only two localities near Gosford. It is an erect shrub with oblong to narrowly lance-shaped and small clusters of green to bluish-grey, later cream-coloured flowers with a brownish-maroon style.

<i>Alchornea ilicifolia</i> Species of plant in the family Euphorbiaceae

Alchornea ilicifolia, commonly known as the native holly, is a bush of eastern Australia. It grows in or on the edges of the drier rainforests in coastal parts of New South Wales and Queensland.

<i>Lasiopetalum macrophyllum</i> Species of shrub

Lasiopetalum macrophyllum, commonly known as shrubby velvet bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with egg-shaped to lance-shaped with rust-coloured hairs on the lower surface, and woolly-hairy, cream-coloured and reddish flowers.

<i>Grevillea scapigera</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Grevillea scapigera, commonly known as Corrigin grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a small area of the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate to weakly ascending, suckering shrub with divided leaves, the end lobes broadly triangular and sharply-pointed, and spikes of white to cream-coloured flowers held above the foliage.

<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>Grevillea ilicifolia</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales

Grevillea ilicifolia, commonly known as holly grevillea or holly bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a spreading to prostrate shrub with holly-like leaves with sharply-pointed triangular to egg-shaped teeth or lobes, and clusters of green to cream-coloured and mauve flowers with a pink to red style.

<i>Lomatia myricoides</i> Species of plant

Lomatia myricoides, commonly known as the river lomatia, is a shrub native to New South Wales and Victoria in southeastern Australia.

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

Persoonia media is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub or tree with branchlets and leaves that are glabrous or only sparsely hairy, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves and up to sixteen yellow flowers on a rachis up to 150 mm (5.9 in) long.

<i>Euclea crispa</i> Species of tree

Euclea crispa, commonly known as the blue guarri, is an Afrotropical plant species of the family Ebenaceae. The hardy and evergreen plants may form a dense stand of shrubs, or grow to tree size. It is widespread and common in the interior regions of southern Africa, and occurs northward to the tropics. Though some are present near the South African south and east coasts, they generally occur at middle to high altitudes. It is readily recognizable from its much-branched structure and dull bluish foliage colour. Those bearing lanceolate leaves may however resemble the Wild olive, another common species of the interior plateaus.

<i>Lomatia polymorpha</i> Species of shrub or small tree of the family Proteaceae which is endemic to Tasmania

Lomatia polymorpha, commonly known as mountain guitar plant, is a shrub or small tree of the family Proteaceae which is endemic to Tasmania. It is a shrub or small tree with linear leaves, and white, cream-coloured or greenish flowers. It is common throughout its range which is approximately complementary to that of L. tinctoria in Tasmania.

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

Acacia insolita is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to south western Australia.

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

Acacia veronica, commonly known as Veronica's wattle, is a shrub or tree of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves that is endemic to a small area of south western Australia.

<i>Hakea ilicifolia</i> Species of plant in the family Proteacea endemic to Western Australia

Hakea ilicifolia is an open shrub or tree in the family Proteacea and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, dense shrub with stiff, lobed leaves and clusters of yellow or creamy-white flowers.

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

Acacia rubida, commonly known as red stem wattle, red stemmed wattle or red leaved wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is native to parts of eastern Australia.

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

Phebalium lepidotum is a species of rounded shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has scaly branchlets, leathery, narrow oblong leaves and white to cream-coloured flowers arranged in umbels of between three and six on the ends of branchlets.

Lasiopetalum adenotrichum is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the Fitzgerald River National Park in the south of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy foliage, narrow egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves and groups of white to cream-coloured and dark reddish-purple flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 "Lomatia ilicifolia". APNI. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Lomatia ilicifolia R.Br". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Harden, Gwen. "Lomatia ilicifolia". Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Jeanes, Jeff. "Lomatia ilicifolia". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: vicflora. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Lomatia ilicifolia". Yarra Ranges Shire Council. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  6. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  7. Wrigley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (1983). Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping (2nd ed.). Sydney: Collins. pp. 258–259. ISBN   0002165759.