Clerodendrum tomentosum

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information:

Wikipedia links:        Angiosperms  > Eudicots > Asterids > Lamiids > Laminales > Laminaceae > Clerodendrum  tomentosum

Other links:     

Plant  information

Common name:                Hairy Lolly Bush 

• Also, Downy Chance, Hairy Clairy or Hairy Clerodendrum

• The curious common name of "downy chance" alludes to both the generic and species names

Conservation status:  . . .

Etymology:   

• The generic name Clerodendrum was coined by the father of modern taxonomy, Carl Linnaeus

• Clerodendrum is from the Greek, literally meaning "allotment tree" ("clero" being allotment and "dendros", tree) 

• "tomentosum" refers to downy or hairy leaves

Flowers:                  

• White flowers form in dense heads between the months of October to January

• In the form of cymes forming terminal corymbs

• Four long stamens protrude from the fragrant flower

• Flowers are pollinated by nocturnal moths

Fruit:                         

• The fruit is a black shiny or navy blue drupe with four lobes

• Surrounded by a fleshy red calyx

• Drupe size is 5 to 8 mm, the width of the red calyx is up to 20 mm

• The red and black of the fruiting body attracts birds, such as the satin bowerbird

• The fruit is not edible for humans

Leaves:         

• Opposite on the stem, without serrations, 4 to 14 cm long, 2 to 4.5 cm wide

• With a short tip, leaf form gradually tapering away at the base of the leaf

• Upper leaf surface sometimes hairy

• Hairy under the leaf, soft and downy to touch

• Pale green below the leaf, darker above

• Leaf veins prominent on the underside, visible on the top surface

• 5 or 6 main lateral veins, curving near the leaf edge

Stem & branches: 

• Up to 15 metres tall with a trunk diameter of 25 cm, though usually much smaller

• An opened branched plant with large veiny leaves

• The trunk is mostly cylindrical or sometimes flanged at the base

• Bark is grey or fawn, somewhat scaly or corky on larger plants

• Young branchlets have lenticels, and are downy and soft

• Angled or square in cross section, brownish grey and sometimes purple at the tips

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A shrub or small tree 

Habitat:   

•  The margins of warmer rainforests of various types

• It can survive in certain areas of under 1000 mm average annual rainfall

Distribution:                  

• Eastern and northern Australia

• From Batemans Bay (35° S) in southern coastal NSWs, Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, and New Guinea

Additional notes:     

• Name and taxonomy

  • Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that the genus Clerodendrum belongs in the mint family

  • Consequently, this species has been removed from the verbena family and placed in Lamiacea

• Cultivation

  • Slow to regenerate from seed, though it can strike from cuttings

• Uses

  • The attractive flowers and fruit make this suitable to native gardens in Australia

  • A bird and butterfly attracting plant

  • A pioneer species in regeneration areas

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerodendrum_tomentosum (2023)