Backhousia subargentea
Backhousia subargentea | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Backhousia |
Species: | B. subargentea
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Binomial name | |
Backhousia subargentea (
C.T.White) M.G.Harr.[1] | |
Synonyms | |
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Backhousia subargentea (syn. Choricarpia subargentea) is a rare
Common names include giant ironwood, ironwood box, scrub ironwood and lancewood. The New South Wales habitat of Backhousia subargentea is dry rainforest thickets on hillsides near Mullumbimby. It grows in association with the shatterwood and wild quince.
Description
Backhousia subargentea is a small tree to medium tree, occasionally reaching 30 metres in height. However, it is much smaller in New South Wales, reaching only 8 metres high and with a stem diameter of 20 cm. The trunk is often multi-stemmed and crooked, not cylindrical in cross section with some buttressing at the base.
The trunk can be smooth and glossy, of an attractive orange/brown or pinkish/mauve colour, or green where bark has recently been shed. Other times, the bark sheds irregularly resulting in a mottled trunk, similar to the spotted gum and the leopardwood.
The leaves are opposite, simple and entire,
Flowers are white, densely together in globular heads, 5 to 8 mm long, appearing in April. The fruit matures around six months later as a small dry capsule, 5 mm in diameter on a stalk 6 to 10 mm long.
Uses
If not so rare, it could possibly be used as an ornamental tree.
References
- ^ "Backhousia subargentea (C.T.White) M.G.Harr". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
- ^ "Threatened species | NSW Environment & Heritage". Threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
Further reading
- PlantNET - The Plant Information Network System of Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney, Australia - 5 August 2009. http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Choricarpia~subargentea
- NSW Threatened Species: http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=10166