Bursaria tenuifolia explained

Bursaria tenuifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to north-eastern Queensland. It is a shrub or spindly tree with elliptic to rhombic adult leaves, spiny foliage when young, flowers with five whitish petals, and slightly flattened, papery fruit.

Description

Bursaria tenuifolia is a shrub or spindly tree that typically grows to a height of up to and has smooth, mottled bark. The young growth is armed with spines, the edges of leaves with teeth or lobes. Adult stages have few spines, the leaves elliptic to more or less rhombic, long and wide on a petiole long. There are both andromonoecious and bisexual flowers, the bisexual flowers on pedicels long. The sepals are long and spread from the base and the five petals are white, long and also spread from the base. Flowering mostly occurs from April to July and the fruit is a slightly flattened, papery capsule long and wide.[1]

Taxonomy

Bursaria tenuifolia was first formally described in 1899 by Frederick Manson Bailey in his book The Queensland Flora.[2] [3] The specific epithet (tenuifolia) means "narrow-leaved".[4]

Distribution and habitat

This bursaria grows in open scrubland and in the margins of rainforest at altitudes up to about and occurs in north-eastern Queensland.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bursaria tenuifolia . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra . 10 November 2021.
  2. Web site: Bursaria tenuifolia. APNI. 10 November 2020.
  3. Book: Bailey . Frederick M. . The Queensland Flora . 1899 . 72 . 10 November 2021.
  4. Book: Sharr . Francis Aubi . George . Alex . Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings . 2019 . Four Gables Press . Kardinya, WA . 9780958034180 . 321 . 3rd.
  5. Web site: Bursaria tenuifolia . Native Plants Queensland - Townsville Branch . 10 November 2021.