Gossypium sturtianum
Sturt's Desert Rose
Sturt's Desert Rose
Wikipedia links: Angiosperms > Eudicots > Rosids > Malvales > Malvaceae > Malvoideae > Gossypieae > Gossypium sturtianum
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Common name: Sturt's Desert Rose
Also, the Darling River rose, cotton rosebush and Australian cotton
Conservation status: Least concern
It is not considered to be at risk in the wild
Etymology:
Flowers:
The flowers are up to 12 cm in diameter
They can be seen for most of the year but peak in late winter
The colour of the petals ranges from pale pink to dark purple to maroon
The five petals are arranged in a whorl and have a dark red centre
Fruit:
Leaves:
The leaves are different shades of green, round and strongly scented when crushed
There are fewer stomata (the pores that release gas in the leaves), or they are protected
The stomata on the Sturt's desert rose are found on the underside of the leaf
This results in reduced water loss
They have internal water storage
Stem & branches:
Roots:
They have deep root systems, so are able to reach water deep under the ground
Habit:
A woody shrub, closely related to cultivated cotton
The plant has a life span of about 10 years, growing from 1–2 m tall and 1–2 m wide
Habitat:
The Sturt's desert rose is found in sandy and gravelly soils, along dry creek beds, watercourses, gorges and rocky slopes
Distribution:
Found in most mainland states of Australia and the Northern Territory
Two varieties are often recognized:
G. sturtianum var. nandewarense (Derera) Fryxell is found only in north-eastern NSW (around Narrabri) and the Expedition Range in central Queensland
G. sturtianum var. sturtianum is more common and is found everywhere else.
G. sturtianum var. trilobum (F.Muell.) J.H.Willis is sometimes considered a synonym of Gossypium robinsonii
Additional notes:
Sturt's desert rose contains gossypol, a chemical toxic to animals other than ruminants.
The first European to see the flower was Charles Sturt in 1844–45, after whom it is named. In 1947; James Hamlyn Willis gave the shrub its current botanical name
It is the floral emblem of the Northern Territory and appears in stylised form on the official flag with seven rather than five petals.
Sources of information: