Lomatia tinctoria

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Guitar plant
Lomatia tinctoria.JPG
Lomatia tinctoria in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Lomatia
Species:
L. tinctoria
Binomial name
Lomatia tinctoria

Lomatia tinctoria, commonly known as guitar plant, [2] is a shrub to about 2 metres tall of the family Proteaceae. It is one of three species of Lomatia endemic to Tasmania, the others being L. polymorpha and L. tasmanica. Lomatia tinctoria is closely related to L. polymorpha, with which it sometimes hybridises. Its leaves are divided, while those of L. polymorpha are simple. [2]

Contents

Description

Lomatia tinctoria grows as a woody shrub reaching 1.5 m (5 ft) high, or rarely up to 2 m (7 ft) high. [2] The leaves are strongly lobed (pinnate or bipinnate) and are around 8 cm long. The white or cream flower heads, known as inflorescences, appear in summer. [3]

The common name of guitar plant may refer to the shape of the fruit. [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

French naturalist Jacques Labillardière first described this species as Embothrium tinctorium in 1805, with the species name, Latin tinctoria "used in dyeing", relating to a product in the fruit that can be used for dyeing. [5] At the time, Embothrium was a wastebasket taxon to which many proteaceae were assigned. [3] It was given its current binomial name by Robert Brown in his 1810 On the natural order of plants called Proteaceae . [6] An alternative name, Tricondylus silaifolius, published by Joseph Knight in his 1809 On the cultivation of the plants belonging to the natural order of Proteeae , was rejected, [7] after Brown's 1810 description of the genus Lomatia was officially conserved against Salisbury's 1809 Tricondylus. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Lomatia tinctoria is found in north eastern Tasmania, "mostly north and east of the Pieman and Derwent rivers and on Cape Barren and on and Flinders Islands". [2] Lomatia polymorpha occurs "approximately south of the Pieman River and west of the Derwent River" [8] but where the ranges overlap, as for example near Lake St Clair, apparent hybrids occur, even though the leaves of the two species are "strikingly different". [9]

Immature fruit. Lomatia tinctoria (fruit).JPG
Immature fruit.
Leaves in the ANBG Lomatia tinctoria (leaves).JPG
Leaves in the ANBG
L. tinctoria x polymorpha hybrid near Lake St Clair. Lomatia tinctoria 01.JPG
L. tinctoria x polymorpha hybrid near Lake St Clair.

Use in horticulture

Lomatia tinctoria can be grown in gardens, doing best on acidic well-drained soils, and tolerating sunny or shady locations. [10] It is readily propagated from seed or cuttings. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Lomatia tasmanica</i> Tasmanian shrub from the family Proteaceae

Lomatia tasmanica, commonly known as King's lomatia, is a shrub of the family Proteaceae native to Tasmania. Growing up to 8 metres (26 ft) tall, the plant has shiny green pinnate (lobed) leaves and bears red flowers in the summer, but yields neither fruit nor seeds. King's lomatia is unusual because all of the remaining plants are genetically identical clones. Because it has three sets of chromosomes and is therefore sterile, reproduction occurs only vegetatively: when a branch falls, that branch grows new roots, establishing a new plant that is genetically identical to its parent.

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

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).

<i>Bellendena</i> Genus of plants in the family Proteaceae

Bellendena montana, commonly known as mountain rocket, is a species of low-growing multi-stemmed shrub in the plant family Proteaceae. It is endemic to high-altitude subalpine and alpine regions in Tasmania, Australia. The prominent white flower spikes appear over summer, followed by small bright red or yellow fruit in late summer and autumn.

<i>Acidonia</i> Monotypic genus of shrub in the family Proteaceae

Acidonia microcarpa is a species of shrub in the plant family Proteaceae. It is the only species in the genus Acidonia. It is endemic to the south coast of the Southwest Botanic Province of Western Australia.

<i>Isopogon ceratophyllus</i> Species of plant of the family Proteaceae that is endemic to Australia

Isopogon ceratophyllus, commonly known as the horny cone-bush or wild Irishman, is a plant of the family Proteaceae that is endemic to the coast in Victoria, South Australia and on the Furneaux Group of islands in Tasmania. It is a small woody shrub that grows to 100 cm high with prickly foliage. It is extremely sensitive to dieback from the pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi

<i>Telopea truncata</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Tasmania

Telopea truncata, commonly known as the Tasmanian waratah, is a plant in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to Tasmania where it is found on moist acidic soils at altitudes of 600 to 1200 m (2000–4000 ft). Telopea truncata is a component of alpine eucalypt forest, rainforest and scrub communities. It grows as a multistemmed shrub to a height of 3 metres (10 ft), or occasionally as a small tree to 10 m (35 ft) high, with red flower heads, known as inflorescences, appearing over the Tasmanian summer and bearing 10 to 35 individual flowers. Yellow-flowered forms are occasionally seen, but do not form a population distinct from the rest of the species.

<i>Alloxylon pinnatum</i> Tree of the family Proteaceae found in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales

Alloxylon pinnatum, known as Dorrigo waratah, is a tree of the family Proteaceae found in warm-temperate rainforest of south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales in eastern Australia. It has shiny green leaves that are either pinnate (lobed) and up to 30 cm (12 in) long, or lanceolate (spear-shaped) and up to 15 cm (5.9 in) long. The prominent pinkish-red flower heads, known as inflorescences, appear in spring and summer; these are made up of 50 to 140 individual flowers arranged in corymb or raceme. These are followed by rectangular woody seed pods, which bear two rows of winged seeds.

<i>Hakea gibbosa</i> Species of shrub of the family Proteaceae endemic to south eastern Australia

Hakea gibbosa, commonly known as hairy hakea or needlebush hakea, is a shrub of the family Proteaceae, and is endemic to south eastern Australia. It has very prickly foliage, cream-yellowish flowers from April to July, and provides shelter for small birds. It has become an environmental weed in South Africa and New Zealand, where it had been introduced for use as a hedge plant.

<i>Xylomelum pyriforme</i> Species of plant in the family Proteaceae native to eastern Australia

Xylomelum pyriforme, commonly known as the woody pear, is a species of plant in the family Proteaceae native to eastern Australia. It grows as a large shrub or small tree to five metres high.

<i>Adenanthos cuneatus</i> Shrub of the family Proteaceae native to the south coast of Western Australia

Adenanthos cuneatus, also known as coastal jugflower, flame bush, bridle bush and sweat bush, is a shrub of the family Proteaceae, native to the south coast of Western Australia. The French naturalist Jacques Labillardière originally described it in 1805. Within the genus Adenanthos, it lies in the section Adenanthos and is most closely related to A. stictus. A. cuneatus has hybridized with four other species of Adenanthos. Growing to 2 m high and wide, it is erect to prostrate in habit, with wedge-shaped lobed leaves covered in fine silvery hair. The single red flowers are insignificant, and appear all year, though especially in late spring. The reddish new growth occurs over the summer.

<i>Persoonia lanceolata</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae native to New South Wales in eastern Australia

Persoonia lanceolata, commonly known as lance-leaf geebung, is a shrub native to New South Wales in eastern Australia. It reaches 3 m (10 ft) in height and has smooth grey bark and bright green foliage. Its small yellow flowers grow on racemes and appear in the austral summer and autumn, followed by green fleshy fruits which ripen the following spring. Within the genus Persoonia, P. lanceolata belongs to the lanceolata group of 58 closely related species. It interbreeds with several other species found in its range.

<i>Nematolepis squamea</i> Species of flowering plant

Nematolepis squamea , commonly known as Satinwood, is an upright shrub or small tree species which is endemic to Australia.

<i>Coronidium scorpioides</i> Species of flowering plant

Coronidium scorpioides, commonly known as the button everlasting, is a perennial herbaceous shrub in the family Asteraceae found in Australia. Previously known as Helichrysum scorpioides, it was placed in the newly described genus Coronidium in 2008.

<i>Persoonia laurina</i> Species of shrub

Persoonia laurina, commonly known as the laurel-leaved or laurel geebung, is a shrub of the family Proteaceae native to central New South Wales in eastern Australia. Found in sclerophyll forest, it grows to a height of 2 metres. The yellow flowers appear in late spring.

<i>Lomatia silaifolia</i> Species of plant in the family, Proteaceae native to eastern Australia

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.

<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>Lomatia arborescens</i> Species of shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae from eastern Australia

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.

<i>Cenarrhenes</i> Monotypic genus of plants in the family Proteaceae

Cenarrhenes is a monytypic genus in the family Proteaceae containing the single species Cenarrhenes nitida, known as the Port Arthur plum or native plum. Cenarrhenes nitida is an evergreen shrub to small tree endemic to the rainforests and scrublands of western Tasmania. It bears white flowers in late spring followed by the development of fleshy fruit.

<i>Coprosma hirtella</i> Species of plant

Coprosma hirtella is a shrub in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It grows to about 2 metres high and has leaves that are between 15 and 50 mm long and 10 to 25 mm wide. Plants have male and female flower clusters that appear between August and April. These are followed by orange to reddish fruits that are 7 to 8 mm in diameter.

<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.

References

  1. "Lomatia tinctoria". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Lomatia tinctoria". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Wrigley, John; Fagg, Murray (1991). Banksias, Waratahs and Grevilleas. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. pp. 447, 452. ISBN   0-207-17277-3.
  4. Burns, Dick. "What's in a Name?". Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  5. "Embothrium tinctorium Labill". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  6. "Lomatia tinctoria (Labill.) R.Br". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  7. "Tricondylus tinctorius (Sm.) Knight". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  8. Wilson, A.J.G.; Hewson, Helen J.; Mowatt, J. "Lomatia polymorpha" . Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  9. Jordan, Greg (2011). "L. tinctoria x polymorpha" . Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  10. Elliot, Rodger W.; Jones, David L.; Blake, Trevor (1993). Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants Suitable for Cultivation:Volume 6 - K–M. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Lothian Press. p. 234. ISBN   0-85091-589-9.

External sources