Brachychiton populneus
Kurrajong
Kurrajong
Wikipedia links: Angiosperms > Eudicots > Rosids > Malvids > Malvales > Malvaceae > Brachychiton populneus
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Overview:
Brachychiton populneus, commonly known as the kurrajong, is a small to medium-sized tree found naturally in Australia in a diversity of habitats from wetter coastal districts to semi-arid interiors of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland
Common name: Kurrajong
Carrejun and carrejan were the indigenous names of trees in the foothills of the Blue Mountains near Sydney, and the bark was used for twine and fishing lines
Conservation status: ...
Etymology:
The specific name populneus pertains to a perceived similarity to the Populus genus, i.e. the poplars
Sometimes B. populneus is also known by the names "lacebark kurrajong" and "bottle tree" (USA)
However, B. discolor is also referred to as the lacebark kurrajong, and bottle tree is a term commonly applied not only to other species of Brachychiton but to members of other genera around the world
Flowers:
The bell-shaped flowers are variable in colour (pale to pink)
Fruit:
Leaves:
The leaves vary considerably in shape
They are either simple and pointed, or may be 3–9 lobed
Stem & branches:
The extended trunk is a water storage device for survival in a warm dry climate
Saplings grow from a drought and fire-resistant tap-rooted tuber
Roots:
Habit:
A small to medium-sized tree
Habitat:
A diversity of habitats from wetter coastal districts to semi-arid interiors
Distribution:
Found naturally in Australia
Victoria, NSW and Queensland
Additional notes:
Uses
The kurrajong has multiple uses and was used by many Australian Aboriginal clans and tribes around Australia
The seeds located in a seed pod were often removed, cleaned of the fine hairs within the seed pod, and roasted
Water could be obtained from the tree roots by boring a hole in the trunk and squeezing the wood
There are also records of the seed pods being turned into a children's rattle or toy
The soft spongy wood was used for making shields, and the bark as a fibre
The leaves are also used as emergency fodder for drought-affected animal stock
There are also records of European settlers using the seeds as a coffee supplement by roasting and crushing the seeds
It has been introduced as an ornamental tree to south-western Australia, South Africa, Louisiana, California, Arizona and Mediterranean countries. In Western Australia it was observed to be an invasive in disturbed areas
Horticulturists have hybridised the kurrajong with related Brachychiton species, including the Queensland bottle tree (B. rupestris) and Illawarra flame tree (B. acerifolius) to produce new garden ornamentals
Ecology
The kurrajong has been recorded as a host plant for the mistletoe species Dendrophthoe glabrescens
Sources of information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachychiton_populneus (September 2024)