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Articles Pindan Post 87 Pindan Post No 87Native Hibiscus species are widespread across Northern Australia, as are many closely related species that include Native Cotton, Kapok Trees and Boabs along with lesser known species such as Fioria and Thespesia. The introduced Portia Tree is Thespesia populnea and the Southern African Hibiscus Tree is Thespesia garckeana and are both large trees that are often found in parks and gardens across the Tropics. All the above and many more belong to the Family Malvaceae, a fabulous group of flowering plants that can be pictured by seeing the Australian National Botanical Garden`s website on www.malvaceae information pages. There are 18 species of Thespesia worldwide with 2 in Australia, both found in the Kimberley. They are both attractive small to medium sized shrubs with large yellow or orange flowers that remind you of its closeness to Native Cotton and Hibiscus, yet have not been cultivated as much. Recently, the first Thespesia thespesioides has begun flowering in a garden bed in the Old Broome Estate. This species is found in stony soils and rocky creek banks north of Derby to the Glenelg River and the Napier Range. It can reach 3 to 4 metres as a multi-stemmed shrub with large ovate leaves, lightly 3 lobed for those growing here, though usually un-lobed. The flowers grow from leaf axils, are solitary or in pairs and are yellow to orange with a dark crimson to purple base with petals to 6 centimetres long. The other species is Thespesia populneoides, found behind Mangroves and tidal creeks from Cape Bossut near Bidyadanga to Cambridge Gulf and across to South-east Asia. It is common around the rocky shores of the islands north of King Sound and adjacent mainland. This is a shrub or small tree to 5metres with a smooth grey bark. The leaves are glossy and heart shaped or broadly ovate, with yellow drooping solitary flowers to 5 centimetres and red or maroon base. The wood is used to make axe handles. These species usually flower from April to August, but are likely to greatly extend the flowering period with irrigation. Two other related species that are flowering profusely in beds on the Anne Street nature strip belong to the Gossypium genus. Wild Cotton, Gossypium robinsonii is a shrub with deeply 3 lobed leaves and superb lilac to pink rose- like flowers, and sometimes called the Pilbara Rose. Found from the southern end of the 80 mile beach across to Exmouth and South to Nullagine, this 3 to 4 metre multi-stemmed shrub grows well in stony creek beds and adjacent stony soils. The Sturts` Desert Rose, Gossypium sturtianum growing on the mound next to the Pilbara Rose is just spectacular as it continues to flower as an open 2 metre shrub. This species has smaller ovate leaves that are not lobed and have showy mauve-pink flowers with petals to 5 centimetres with a dark red spot at the base. This species is the national floral emblem of the Northern Territory but can be found in the Central Pilbara and near Exmouth as a low 1 metre shrub along the Coastal plain. Both the above species have fruiting capsules with 4 or 5 cells containing hard hairy seeds. Gossypium australe is the Native Cotton that is found widespread around Broome and across the tropical savannah extending into adjacent deserts. This species readily regenerates in disturbed ground along roadsides. Other species that can be seen in the same Anne Street garden include a spectacular Hibiscus setulosus with large pink flowers, from the central and north Kimberley regions and Ipomoea costata, a pink flowering climbing shrub often called Wild Potato or Rock Morning Glory. The flower has similarities to the above species however this belongs to the Convolvulus Family. 27/10 |
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