Alloxylon
Encyclopedia
Alloxylon is a genus of five species in the Proteaceae
family of mainly small to medium-sized tree
s. They are native to the eastern coast of Australia
, with one species, A. brachycarpum
found in New Guinea
and the Aru Islands
. The genus is a relatively new creation, being split off from Oreocallis
. The name is derived from Classical Greek allo- "other" or "strange" and xylon or "wood" due to their unusual cell architecture compared with the related genera Telopea and Oreocallis. In Australia, they are known as tree waratahs due to similarities in the inflorescences between them and the closely related Telopea
.
, Oreocallis
and Embothrium
, Alloxylon makes up a small group of terminal often red-flowering showy plants scattered around the southern edges of the Pacific Rim
. Known as the Embothriinae, this is an ancient group with roots in the mid Cretaceous
, when Australia
, Antarctica and South America
were linked by land.
has proven adaptable and hardy, while the others are more exacting in their requirements. All do best in a well drained soil rich in organic material but low in phosphorus
with some shelter when small.
Proteaceae
Proteaceae is a family of flowering plants distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises about 80 genera with about 1600 species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae they make up the order Proteales. Well known genera include Protea, Banksia, Embothrium, Grevillea,...
family of mainly small to medium-sized tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s. They are native to the eastern coast of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, with one species, A. brachycarpum
Alloxylon brachycarpum
Alloxylon brachycarpum is a species of plant in the Proteaceae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* Eddowes, P.J. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 August 2007....
found in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and the Aru Islands
Aru Islands
The Aru Islands are a group of about ninety-five low-lying islands in the Maluku province of eastern Indonesia. They also form a regency of Indonesia.-Geography:...
. The genus is a relatively new creation, being split off from Oreocallis
Oreocallis
Oreocallis is a genus in the family Proteaceae. There is only one species, O. grandiflora. This plant is native to mountainous regions in Peru and Ecuador in South America....
. The name is derived from Classical Greek allo- "other" or "strange" and xylon or "wood" due to their unusual cell architecture compared with the related genera Telopea and Oreocallis. In Australia, they are known as tree waratahs due to similarities in the inflorescences between them and the closely related Telopea
Waratah
Waratah is a genus of five species of large shrubs or small trees in the Proteaceae, native to the southeastern parts of Australia...
.
Classification
Together with TelopeaWaratah
Waratah is a genus of five species of large shrubs or small trees in the Proteaceae, native to the southeastern parts of Australia...
, Oreocallis
Oreocallis
Oreocallis is a genus in the family Proteaceae. There is only one species, O. grandiflora. This plant is native to mountainous regions in Peru and Ecuador in South America....
and Embothrium
Embothrium
Embothrium is a genus of two to eight species in the plant family Proteaceae, native to southern South America, in Chile and adjacent western Argentina and southern Peru; the genus occurs as far south as Tierra del Fuego...
, Alloxylon makes up a small group of terminal often red-flowering showy plants scattered around the southern edges of the Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
. Known as the Embothriinae, this is an ancient group with roots in the mid Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
, when Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Antarctica and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
were linked by land.
Cultivation
They are grown for their incredibly showy flowers. Their large size and, in some cases, lengthy time to flower from seed, has limited their availability as garden plants. However Alloxylon flammeumAlloxylon flammeum
Alloxylon flammeum, the Queensland Tree Waratah or Red Silky Oak is a medium-sized tree of the Proteaceae found in only a few kilometres of the Atherton Tableland in northeastern Australia...
has proven adaptable and hardy, while the others are more exacting in their requirements. All do best in a well drained soil rich in organic material but low in phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
with some shelter when small.
Species
- Alloxylon brachycarpumAlloxylon brachycarpumAlloxylon brachycarpum is a species of plant in the Proteaceae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* Eddowes, P.J. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 August 2007....
- Alloxylon flammeumAlloxylon flammeumAlloxylon flammeum, the Queensland Tree Waratah or Red Silky Oak is a medium-sized tree of the Proteaceae found in only a few kilometres of the Atherton Tableland in northeastern Australia...
(previously Oreocallis wickhamii) (typeType speciesIn biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
) - Alloxylon pinnatumAlloxylon pinnatumAlloxylon pinnatum, commonly known as Dorrigo waratah, is a tree of the Proteaceae family found in warm-temperate rainforest of south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales in eastern Australia.-Description:...
- Alloxylon wickhamiiAlloxylon wickhamiiAlloxylon wickhamii is a rainforest tree of the Proteaceae family found in eastern Australia....
