| Popwood | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
| Genus: | Myoporum |
| Species: | M. obscurum |
| Binomial name | |
| Myoporum obscurum | |
Myoporum obscurum, commonly known as popwood, sandalwood or bastard ironwood is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. It is a very rare shrub, endemic to Norfolk Island where it occurs in a few scattered locations.
Myoporum obscurum is a spreading shrub or small dome-shaped tree which sometimes grows to a height of 6 metres (20 ft). The leaves are arranged alternately and are thin, elliptic to lance-shaped, 69–135 millimetres (3–5 in) long, 25–40 millimetres (1–2 in) wide, have a shiny upper surface and a dull lower one with a distinct mid-vein. The edges of the leaf are wavy and occasionally have a few small teeth near the end. [2] [3] [4]
The flowers appear in groups of 3 to 6 in the axils of the leaves on the end of flattened stalks 6.5–11 millimetres (0.3–0.4 in) long. They have 5 lance-shaped sepals and 5 petals joined at their bases to form a tube. The tube is 4–6 millimetres (0.16–0.24 in) long and the lobes are about the same length as the tube. The tube is white, spotted purple on the lobes and inside the tube and the inside of the tube is hairy. There are 4 stamens which extend slightly beyond the petal tube. The fruit is an oval-shaped, reddish drupe. [2]
Myoporum obscurum was first formally described in 1833 by Stephan Endlicher and the description was published in Prodromus Florae Norfolkicae . The type specimen was found on Norfolk Island by Ferdinand Bauer. [5] [6] The specific epithet is derived from the "Latin obscurum, indistinct, dark". [2]
Only a few specimens of Myoporum obscurum remain and only in a few scattered locations on Norfolk Island. [2] The species was common on nearby Phillip Island in 1830, but along with most of the rest of the vegetation there, was lost in the 19th century due to erosion caused by the introduction of pest animals such as rabbits. [7] In 2003 only 5 plants were known on Norfolk Island, [8] all in the national park. Since then a management plan for the species has been prepared and a number of specimens of popwood have been planted. It does not tolerate shade and is generally found on forest margins. [9]
Little is known of the ecology of popwood, other than it is threatened by competition from weed species. [9]
Myoporum obscurum is listed as "critically endangered" in terms of the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act. [4]
Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher also known as Endlicher István László was an Austrian botanist, numismatist and Sinologist. He was a director of the Botanical Garden of Vienna.
Myoporum laetum, commonly known as ngaio or mousehole tree is a plant in the family Scrophulariaceae endemic to New Zealand, including the Chatham Islands. It is a fast growing shrub, readily distinguished from others in the genus by the transparent dots in the leaves which are visible when held to a light.
Myoporum insulare, commonly known as common boobialla, native juniper, is a species of flowering plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to coastal areas of Australia. It is a shrub or small tree which grows on dunes and coastal cliffs, is very salt tolerant and widely used in horticulture.
Myoporum parvifolium, commonly known as creeping boobialla, creeping myoporum, dwarf native myrtle or small leaved myoporum is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. It is a low, spreading shrub with long, trailing stems and white, star-shaped flowers and is endemic to southern Australia including Flinders Island.
Myoporum viscosum, commonly known as sticky boobialla, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is unusual in that sometimes, especially when the leaves are crushed, it has an extremely unpleasant smell.
Bulbophyllum argyropus, commonly known as the silver strand orchid, is a species of epiphytic or sometimes lithophytic orchid that is endemic to eastern Australia, including Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. It has crowded pseudobulbs, tough, dark green leaves and up to four small whitish to yellowish flowers with an orange labellum.
Sarcomelicope simplicifolia, commonly known as bauerella, hard aspen or yellow-wood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia including Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. It is a shrub or small tree with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves arranged in opposite pairs, male or female flowers arranged in small groups in leaf axils and fruit an oval to spherical drupe.
Myoporum petiolatum, commonly known as sticky boobialla, is a plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to the south-east of continental Australia. For many years this species has been confused with the much less common species Myoporum viscosum from which it can be distinguished by its thinner, noticeably petiolate and non-odorous leaves.
Myoporum floribundum, commonly known as weeping myoporum or slender myoporum, is a sour-smelling glabrous shrub in the family Scrophulariaceae endemic to a small area of New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. It has long, thin, drooping leaves and profuse white flowers in clusters along the stems in spring. Although it is uncommon in nature, it has long been available as a popular garden plant.
Calystegia affinis is a critically endangered species of climbing or creeping vine in the plant family Convolvulaceae. It is endemic to Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. In 2003 only about 45 mature plants were known, with about 40 of those on Norfolk Island.
Myoporum montanum, commonly known as waterbush or boobialla, is a shrub native to Australia, New Guinea and Timor. The species is extremely variable in size growth habit and leaf form, with three primary forms recognised. Its occurrence in many places is restricted to coastal regions, watercourses and other locales with more reliable water supplies. It was this association with water that gave rise to the name water bush.
Dendrobium macropus, commonly known as the Norfolk Island cane orchid, is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid in the family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Norfolk Island. It has cylindrical pseudobulbs, thin, dark green leaves and between five and ten yellowish green flowers that do not open widely.
Dendrobium brachypus, commonly known as the dwarf cane orchid, is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid in the family Orchidaceae. It has crowded, yellowish green pseudobulbs, dark green leaves and two or three cream-coloured to whitish or greenish flowers which often do not open fully. It grows on trees and rocks on one mountain on Norfolk Island.
Myoporum caprarioides, commonly known as slender myoporum, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. It is a shrub with wart-like tubercles covering its branches and leaves, especially on the upper surface and white flowers spotted with mauve, or all blue-mauve, present for most of the warmer months.
Myoporum mauritianum is a flowering plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a few volcanic islands in the Indian Ocean. It is a small, low-branched shrub with serrated leaves and small white flowers and usually grows on calcarenite within 20 metres (70 ft) of the sea.
Myoporum oppositifolium, commonly known as twin-leaf myoporum, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. It is easily distinguished from others in the genus by the combination of glabrous leaves and branches, its opposite leaf arrangement and its serrated leaves. Its distribution is restricted to the extreme south-west of Western Australia.
Myoporum platycarpum, known by several common names including sugarwood, false sandalwood and ngural is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. It is rounded with bright green foliage as a young shrub and roughly fissured, dark grey bark when mature. Sugarwood is endemic to the southern half of continental Australia.
Myoporum bontioides is a species of the flowering plant in the family Scrophulariaceae. It is a shrub growing in coastal areas of southern Japan and South China including beaches and estuaries where there are no large breaking waves.
Phreatia limenophylax, commonly known as the Norfolk Island caterpillar orchid is a plant in the orchid family and is an epiphyte with four to six fleshy, channelled leaves in a fan-like arrangement. A large number of tiny white flowers are arranged along a thin flowering stem. It is found on the Solomon Islands, Norfolk Island, and on some other islands of the southwest Pacific.
Melicope littoralis , commonly known as shade tree, is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Norfolk Island. It has trifoliate leaves and small white flowers borne in leaf axils in panicles of a few to many flowers.
