Ceratopetalum gummiferum

Last updated

New South Wales Christmas bush
Ceratopetalum gummiferum-Minchen.jpg
Painting of Christmas bush by Edward Minchen
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Oxalidales
Family: Cunoniaceae
Genus: Ceratopetalum
Species:
C. gummiferum
Binomial name
Ceratopetalum gummiferum
Sm.

Ceratopetalum gummiferum, the New South Wales Christmas bush, is a tall shrub or small tree popular in cultivation due to its sepals that turn bright red-pink at around Christmas time. The petals are actually small and white - it is the sepals that enlarge to about 12mm after the flower sets fruit and starts to dry out. [1]

Contents

The specific name gummiferum alludes to the large amounts of gum that is discharged from cut bark.

Description

Plants initially grow as rounded shrubs but mature to pyramidical trees. [2] The leaves comprise three leaflets and are up to 8 cm long. The petioles are grooved on the upper side and are 10 to 20 mm long. [1] Small, white five-petalled flowers appear in sprays from October in the species' native range. As these die the sepals enlarge and become pink to red in colour, the display peaking at Christmas time in Australia. [2]

Taxonomy

Ceratopatalum gummiferum is one of nine species in the genus Ceratopetalum which occur in Australia and Papua New Guinea. The species was first formally described by English botanist James Edward Smith in 1793 in A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland [3]

Distribution and habitat

The species is endemic to New South Wales where it occurs to the east of the Great Dividing Range from Ulladulla in the south to Evans Head in the north. [1]

Cultivation

In cultivation, plants usually grow to no more than 6 metres in height. [2] Plants may be propagated from seed or cuttings, the latter method being preferred to maintain good colour forms. [4] Well-drained soil is required to avoid problems with dieback associated with root-rot fungus. [2]

Related Research Articles

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

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.

<i>Prostanthera lasianthos</i> Species of tree

Prostanthera lasianthos, commonly known as the Victorian Christmas bush or coranderrk , is a large shrub or small tree of the mint family, Lamiaceae, which is native to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia. It grows up to 10 m (35 ft) high but is usually much less and is found in wet sclerophyll forests, often beside creeks. Its flowers, which appear in profuse sprays, are about 2 cm long and white or pale lilac, with purple and orange blotches in the throat. They appear in late spring and summer, and specifically around Christmas time in Victoria. The fragrant, toothed leaves are 4 to 12 cm long and about 1.5 cm wide.

<i>Elaeocarpus reticulatus</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Elaeocarpaceae

Elaeocarpus reticulatus, commonly known as blueberry ash, ash quandong, blue olive berry, fairy petticoats, fringe tree, koda, lily of the valley tree and scrub ash, is species of flowering plant in the family Elaeocarpaceae, and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with oblong to elliptic leaves, racemes of white or pink flowers and blue, oval to spherical fruit.

<i>Eremophila alternifolia</i> Species of plant

Eremophila alternifolia, commonly known as narrow-leaved poverty bush, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to areas between the far west of New South Wales, the far south of the Northern Territory and the southern half of Western Australia. It is a variable shrub, with respect to its growth form, leaf shape and flower colour. Aboriginal Australians used the leaves to treat ailments such as colds and skin infections and pharmacological testing has shown that the leaves contain compounds that affect cardiac activity.

<i>Acacia stenophylla</i> Species of tree

Acacia stenophylla is a species of Acacia commonly referred to as the shoestring acacia. It is an evergreen tree in the family Fabaceae native to Australia. It is not considered rare or endangered.

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

Grevillea mucronulata, also known as green spider flower or green grevillea, is a shrub of the family Proteaceae that is endemic to New South Wales in Australia. Described by Robert Brown in 1810, it is found in open sclerophyll forest or woodland around the Sydney region and New South Wales south coast. It grows as a small bush to 3 metres high and wide, with variable foliage and greenish flowers that appear over the cooler months from May to October. The flowers are attractive to birds.

<i>Leptospermum liversidgei</i> Species of shrub

Leptospermum liversidgei, commonly known as the olive tea-tree, is a species of compact shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has narrow egg-shaped, lemon-scented leaves, white or pink flowers and woody fruit that remain on the plant at maturity.

<i>Myoporum insulare</i> Species of plant

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.

<i>Dipodium roseum</i> Species of orchid

Dipodium roseum, commonly known as rosy hyacinth-orchid or pink hyacinth-orchid, is a leafless saprophytic orchid found in east and south-eastern Australia. In summer it produces a tall flowering stem with up to fifty pale pink flowers with small, dark red spots. A widespread and common species it is often confused with D. punctatum but has darker, less heavily spotted flowers.

Christmas plants

Christmas plants are various flowers or vegetation from garden plants associated with the festive season of Christmas. There are many different plants used around the world during Christmas. Beyond Christmas flowers, there are also Christmas foods, and Christmas drinks, that use traditional plants. There are also a wide variety of plants that include "Christmas" in their common name.

<i>Zieria prostrata</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria prostrata commonly known as headland zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to the Coffs Harbour district in New South Wales, Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with leaves composed of three leaflets, and flowers with four pink to white petals. It is only known from four headlands and is classified as an endangered species.

<i>Myoporum acuminatum</i> Species of tree

Myoporum acuminatum, commonly known as waterbush, pointed boobialla or mangrove boobialla, is a flowering plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It grows in rainforest or wet eucalyptus forest near the coast and in the Coastal Ranges, and is occasionally associated with mangroves. Occasionally it is found in the drier rainforests. It grows naturally as far south as Mimosa Rocks National Park in far south eastern New South Wales, and north to Fraser Island in Southern Queensland.

<i>Melaleuca wilsonii</i> Species of plant

Melaleuca wilsonii, commonly known as Wilson's honey-myrtle or violet honey-myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, native to parts of South Australia and Victoria. It is a shrub with narrow, pointed leaves and heads of purplish-pink flowers on the sides of the branches. It is adaptable to a wide range of soils, frost hardy and often cultivated.

<i>Leptospermum grandifolium</i> Species of shrub

The Leptospermum grandifolium, commonly known as mountain tea-tree or woolly teatree, is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has elliptical to egg-shaped leaves with a sharp point on the tip, white flowers and relatively large, broadly hemispherical fruit.

<i>Boronia mollis</i> Species of plant

Boronia mollis, commonly known as soft boronia, is a plant in the citrus family and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a shrub with pinnate leaves, and small groups of pink flowers in leaf axils. It grows in coastal areas in forest.

<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>Myoporum montanum</i> Species of plant

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.

<i>Melaleuca salicina</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca salicina, commonly known as willow bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to eastern Australia. Some Australian state herbaria continue to use the name Callistemon salignus, a name that is accepted by the Australian Plant Census. It is a shrub or small tree with soft foliage, pink new growth, white papery bark and spikes of usually white or creamy bottlebrush flowers in spring.

<i>Zieria cytisoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria cytisoides, commonly known as the downy zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a bushy shrub with three-part, clover-like leaves and small clusters of pale to deep pink flowers with four petals and four stamens.

<i>Leptospermum rotundifolium</i> Species of tree

Leptospermum rotundifolium, commonly known as round-leaved tea tree, is a species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to New South Wales, naturalised in Victoria and Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with more or less circular leaves but with a small point on the tip, and relatively large pink or white flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 3 G. J. Harden. "New South Wales Flora Online: Ceratopetalum gummiferum". Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney, Australia.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Ceratopetalum gummiferum". Growing Native Plants. Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  3. "Ceratopetalum gummiferum". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  4. "Ceratopatalum gummiferum". Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Retrieved 26 December 2011.