Wahlenbergia gloriosa

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Royal bluebell
Wahlenbergia gloriosa in a Canberra suburban garden
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Campanulaceae
Genus: Wahlenbergia
Species:
W. gloriosa
Binomial name
Wahlenbergia gloriosa

Wahlenbergia gloriosa, commonly known as royal bluebell

perennial herb in the bluebell family Campanulaceae. It has egg-shaped leaves near the base of its stem, linear leaves higher up and usually a single purple flower with a tube-shaped base. The flower is the floral emblem of the Australian Capital Territory.

Habit in Mount Buffalo National Park

Description

Wahlenbergia gloriosa is a perennial herb with spreading

capsule 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) wide.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Wahlenbergia gloriosa was first formally described in 1947 by Noel Lothian and the description was published in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales from a specimen collected on Mount Buffalo by Percival St John.[5][6][7] The specific epithet (gloriosa) is a Latin word meaning "famous" or "splendid".[8]

Distribution and habitat

Royal bluebell is locally common in

Victorian high country.[2][4]

Use in horticulture

This species is a frost-hardy ground cover that grows best in a sunny or part-shade position in cooler parts of Australia. It can be propagated by division, from cuttings or from seed and grown in enriched soil. It prefers soil with well-rotted organic matter and for the soil to be kept moist but not water logged.[9]

Cultural references

In 1982 Wahlenbergia gloriosa was announced as the floral emblem of the Australian Capital Territory (A.C.T.), by a selection committee chaired by the director of the Australian National Botanic Gardens. The main criterion was its occurrence in the A.C.T. but also because of its horticultural merit and its potential for incorporation in both naturalistic and stylised representations.[10]

A postage stamp featuring the royal bluebell was issued in August 1986.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ "Wahlenbergia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Smith, Peter J. "Wahlenbergia gloriosa". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  3. doi:10.7751/telopea19924963
    .
  4. ^ a b Walsh, Neville. "Wahlenbergia gloriosa". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Wahlenbergia gloriosa". APNI. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  6. ^ Lothian, Noel (1947). "Critical notes on the genus Wahlenbergia Schrader; with descriptions of new species in the Australian region". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 71: 224–226. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  7. ^ "St John, Percival Reginald Harry (1872 - 1944)". Australian National Botanic Garden. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  8. ^ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 419.
  9. ^ Halloran, Joe. "Wahlenbergia gloriosa". Australian National Botanic Garden. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  10. ^ a b Boden, Anne. "Royal Bluebell". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  11. ^ "Australian Plants on Stamps". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wahlenbergia_gloriosa&oldid=1198104995"