Correa lawrenceana, commonly known as mountain correa,[2] is a species of shrub or small tree of the family
Rutaceae and is
endemic to Australia. It has elliptical to egg-shaped leaves arranged in opposite pairs and cylindrical, greenish yellow to red flowers usually arranged singly or in groups of up to seven in leaf
axils with the
stamens protruding beyond the end of the
corolla.
Description
Correa lawrenceana is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.6–9 m (2 ft 0 in – 29 ft 6 in), sometimes a tree to 16 m (52 ft), and has branchlets covered with rusty hairs. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, elliptical to egg-shaped, 13–120 mm (0.51–4.72 in) long and 7–70 mm (0.28–2.76 in) wide on a
petiole up to 16 mm (0.63 in) long. The flowers are arranged singly or in groups of up to seven in leaf axils, rarely on the ends of branchlets, each flower on a
pedicel 5–50 mm (0.20–1.97 in) long. The
calyx is hemispherical to cup-shaped, 3–10 mm (0.12–0.39 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide. The corolla is cylindrical, greenish yellow to red with a scaly to velvety surface, 12–50 mm (0.47–1.97 in) long with four short lobes on the end. The stamens project well beyond the end of the corolla. Flowering occurs in spring and sporadically at other times.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy
This species was first described in 1834 by English botanist
William Jackson Hooker who gave it the name Correa lawrenciana and published the description in his journal, The Journal of Botany.[5][6] The specific epithet honours Tasmanian botanist
Robert William Lawrence (1807-1833) who, together with
Ronald Gunn, collected the plant material sent to Hooker.[7] In 1998,
Paul Wilson corrected the name to Correa lawrenceana to conform to the
Tokyo Code.[8][9]
A subgenus of Correa (Correa subgenus Persistens Othman, Duretto and G.J. Jord.) was formally described in 2011 comprising two species, C. lawrenceana and C. baeuerlenii.[10] Unlike other Correa species, C. lawrenceana does not readily form hybrids with other species.[11]
Correa lawrenceana var. cordifolia Paul G.Wilson,[12] commonly known as pink mountain-correa, is distinguished by its broadly elliptic to broadly heart-shaped leaves and hairy calyx 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long.[13]
Correa lawrenceana var. genoensis Paul G.Wilson,[14] commonly known as Genoa River correa, is distinguished by its broadly elliptic to broadly heart-shaped leaves and glabrous green calyx 9–12 mm (0.35–0.47 in) long.[9]
Correa lawrenceana var. glandulifera Paul G.Wilson[15] has elliptic or egg-shaped leaves, a shallow hemispherical calyx about 2 mm (0.079 in) long covered with star-shaped hairs and a yellowish green corolla.[9]
Correa lawrenceana var. grampiana Paul G.Wilson,[16] commonly known as Grampians mountain-correa, has leathery, broadly elliptical leaves, a calyx covered with woolly rust-coloured hairs and a cylindrical corolla covered with velvety hairs.[9]
Correa lawrenceana. var. latrobeana (F.Muell. ex Hannaford) Paul G.Wilson[17] is distinguished by its broadly elliptic to broadly heart-shaped leaves and hairy calyx 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long.[9]
Correa lawrenceana var. rosea Paul G.Wilson[20] has narrow elliptical leaves 40–60 mm (1.6–2.4 in) long, a calyx 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long and a narrow cylindrical corolla that is pink to dull red with green lobes.[9][21][22]
Some varieties grade into each other, and the delineation between them is imprecise.[9]
Distribution and habitat
The species is found in
rainforest and
sclerophyll forest in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland. Variety
cordifolia grows in forest on the coast and tablelands of southern New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and far north-eastern Victoria. Variety
genoensis is only known from the banks of the
Genoa River near the New South Wales - Victoria border.[23][24] Variety
glandulifera is found in the mountains from the
Gibraltar Range in New South Wales to the
McPherson Range in south-eastern Queensland. Variety
grampiana grows among rocks in mountain areas, mainly in the
Grampians. Variety
latrobeana is found in south-eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria. Variety
lawrenceana occurs in mountainous areas in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, var.
macrocalyx is found in mountainous areas between the
Taree and the
Illawarra regions in New South Wales and var. rosea is only found in the
Snowy Mountains of New South Wales.[9]
Ecology
The flowers are presumed to be pollinated by either birds or bees.[25]
Use in horticulture
Correa lawrenceana is suited to a cool, moist, partly shaded position and is known to tolerate frost and snow. It can be used as a screening plant and will attract
honeyeaters to the garden.[26]
Plants are easily propagated from cuttings, whereas seed can be difficult.[7]
^
abPorteners, Marianne F.; Weston, Peter H.
"Correa lawrenceana F.Muell". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
^Wilson, Paul G. Wilson, Annette J.G.; Bolton, P.E. (eds.).
"Correa lawrenceana". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
^Duretto, Marco F.
"Correa lawrenceana". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
^Othman, Raja Nur Ateeka; Gregory J. Jordan; James R. P. Worth; Dorothy A. Steane; Marco F. Duretto (2011). "Phylogeny and infrageneric classification of Correa Andrews (Rutaceae) on the basis of nuclear and chloroplast DNA". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 288 (3): 127–138.
doi:
10.1007/s00606-010-0315-0.
S2CID22925844.
^Duretto, Marco F.
"Rutaceae"(PDF). Flora of Tasmania online. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Archived from
the original(PDF) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
^Wilson, Paul G. Wilson, Annette J.G.; Bolton, P.E. (eds.).
"Correa lawrenceana var. cordifolia". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 12 July 2020.