2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Angophora (lat. Angophora) - a genus of flowering plants of the Myrtaceae family (lat. Myrtaceae). Among the sixteen plant species of the genus, there are shrubs and trees. They are endemic to distant Australia, but are also cultivated in other places on our planet.
What's in your name
The Latin name of the genus "Angophora" is based on two Greek words: "angos" and "phora", which in Russian sound like "vessel or box" and "carries". The genus owes this name to the appearance of the fruits of the plants of the genus.
The plant community, which today consists of sixteen species, was first described as a genus in 1797.
A long-standing dispute continues between botanists about the differentiation of plants of three genera of the Myrtle family: Angophora (lat. Angophora), Corimbia (lat. Corymbia) and Eucalyptus (lat. Eucalyptus), which are very similar to each other, and therefore are often referred to under one name - “Eucalyptus ". Collectively, Eucalyptus, or, as they are also called, "Gum Trees", dominate many Australian ecosystems. Some botanists argue that Angophora is an independent plant genus, while others continue to debate this topic.
European settlers in Australia called them "apples" for the outward resemblance of Angophora trees to apple trees. This name can often be heard today.
Description
Representatives of the Angophora clan chose Australia for their place of residence, where they grow in the form of dense bushes, or take the form of trees that rise to the heavens to a height of thirty meters. Most plants have a rough, rough bark.
The dark green leaves of Angophora with clearly visible transverse veins on the leaf blade are located oppositely on the stems, which is what differ from the leaves of Eucalyptus, which are located on the stems in the next order. The sheet plate is one-piece, lanceolate, with a pointed-rounded end. Young leaves are hairy and glandular, but later lose their hairline.
Large inflorescences of Angophora consist of small independent bundles formed by three to seven flowers, which differ from Eucalyptus flowers by the absence of a pterygoid shell-like structure that falls off when the flowers open. At the base of the flowers there are four or five miniature green sepals. Sepals overlap with creamy white petals and whorls of numerous stamens.
The fruit of Angophora, which completes the vegetation cycle of the plant, is a paper or slightly woody capsule, usually with thick sharp ribs, covered with woolly hairs.
Varieties
As an example, consider several of the sixteen species of the genus Angophora:
* Angophora ribbed (lat. Angophora costata) - a tree up to thirty meters high with a smooth, scaly bark. Prefers sandy soils.
* Angophora thick-leaved (lat. Angophora crassifolia) is a small tree up to fifteen meters high with thick and hard leaves.
* Angophora almost velvety (lat. Angophora subvelutina) - a tree from twelve to twenty meters high, but in very favorable conditions it can grow up to thirty-five meters. Where it grows, the soil is fertile, suitable for agriculture. The leaves are similar in shape to eucalyptus, but are located oppositely on the stem.
* Angophora melanoxylon (lat. Angophora melanoxylon) is rather a tall shrub with several stems up to fifteen meters high. A gray or gray-brown bark covers the main stems. Leaves from gray-green to green.
* Angophora smooth-bore (lat. Angophora leiocarpa) is a tree up to twenty-five meters high with a gray-cream smooth bark, which in some places looks through with small pink spots.
