Biology:Crowea saligna

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Short description: Species of flowering plant

Crowea saligna
Crowea saligna (5605881742).jpg
Crowea saligna growing in the Royal National Park
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Crowea
Species:
C. saligna
Binomial name
Crowea saligna
Andrews[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Crowea latifolia Lodd. ex G.Don
  • Crowea macrantha Hérincq nom. inval., pro syn.
  • Crowea saligna var. major Anon.
  • Crowea saligna Andrews var. saligna
  • Crowea saligna var. stricta Anon.
  • Eriostemon crowei F.Muell. nom. illeg., nom. superfl. p.p.
  • Eriostemon salignum Baill. orth. var.
  • Eriostemon salignus (Andrews) Baill.

Crowea saligna, commonly known as willow-leaved crowea, is a plant in the rue family, Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern New South Wales in Australia . It is a small shrub with attractive, pink, star-shaped flowers and is commonly cultivated.

Description

Crowea saligna is a small shrub usually growing to a height of about 1–1.5 metres (3–5 ft) with conspicuously angled branches. The leaves are 30–60 millimetres (1–2 in), 3–13 millimetres (0.1–0.5 in) wide and are narrow elliptic to lance-shaped. They are also dark green, shiny, dotted with oil glands and there is a distinct mid-vein.[2][3][4]

The flowers develop in the axils of leaves on a stalk 5-13 millimetres (<1/2 inch) long. There are 5 short, broad sepals and 5 overlapping petals forming a "star" shape. The petals are pink, sometimes white and are 12-18 millimetres (1/2-1 inch) long. The stamens are hairy and enclose the centre of the flower. The flowers appear from January to June and the fruits that follow are dry and have 5 compartments which open to release 2 seeds each.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Crowea saligna was first formally described in 1800 by Henry Cranke Andrews. The description was published in The Botanist's Repository for New, and Rare Plants.[5][6] The specific epithet (saligna) is a Latin word meaning " of willow".[7]

Distribution and habitat

Willow-leaved crowea occurs in Sydney between Woy Woy and Yerrinbool and on the adjacent Blue Mountains. It grows in sheltered locations on sandstone.[2][3]

Use in horticulture

Crowea saligna is widely cultivated due to its attractive flowers that appear when most other species are dormant. It prefers a well-drained position in sun or semi shade. It grows best in moist soils but will tolerate extended dry periods once established.[4][8]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Crowea saligna". Australian Plant Census. https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/86846. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Roger, Carolin; Tindale, Mary (1994). Flora of the Sydney region (4th ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Reed. p. 438. ISBN 0730104001. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Porteners, M.F.; Weston, P.H.. "Crowea saligna". Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, plantnet. http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Crowea~saligna. Retrieved 19 November 2015. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Crowea saligna". Australian Native Plants Society Australia. http://anpsa.org.au/c-sal.html. Retrieved 19 November 2015. 
  5. "Crowea saligna". APNI. https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/506553. Retrieved 20 November 2020. 
  6. Andrews, Henry C. (1800). The Botanists Repository for New and Rare Plants Volume 2. p. 79. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/109209#page/15/mode/1up. Retrieved 19 November 2015. 
  7. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 857. 
  8. Wrigley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (1983). Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping (2nd ed.). Sydney: Collins. p. 203. ISBN 0002165759. 

Wikidata ☰ Q3005458 entry