Hakea lorea
Encyclopedia
Hakea lorea, commonly known as bootlace oak or cork tree, is a species
of shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae
found in central and northern Australia.
The species was first formally described by Robert Brown
as Grevillea lorea in 1810 in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen
after being collected in Shoalwater Bay, Queensland in September 1802, before reclassifying it in the genus Hakea
in 1830, in his Supplementum primum prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae
. Its name lorea is derived from Latin
"made from thin strips of leather" and relates to its leaves. It belongs to a group of related species known as the corkbarks, or lorea group, within the genus Hakea, most of which are found across Australia's arid interior.
Two subspecies are currently recognised. The nominate subspecies lorea is found over much of central and northern Australia, while the subspecies borealis is found in the Kimberley and northern Northern Territory.
The species as it currently stands includes four species described over central and northern Australia which have been found to blend into one another evenly H. lorea, H. suberea, H. cunninghamii and the Queensland populations of H. fraseri (note that one remaining rare population of Hakea fraseri in New South Wales is considered a valid species).
Hakea lorea grows as a gnarled tree to 10 metres high, or shrub from 1 to 5 metres high. The trunk bears thick corklike bark with many furrows. The long thin leaves are either single or forked, and measure from 15 to 70 cm long and 1–2.5 mm wide. The inflorescences contain anywhere from 15 to 200 individual small flowers and are shades of yellow, white or green.
Hakea lorea ranges across the interior of central and northern Australia, from the southern Cape York Peninsula
in the northeast, south to the Darling Downs in the southeast to northern South Australia and the Pilbara in the west.
It is a slow growing but attractive plant in cultivation, its leaves and bark a feature. Full sun and good drainage are helpful.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae
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,...
found in central and northern Australia.
The species was first formally described by Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
as Grevillea lorea in 1810 in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen
Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen
Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen is an 1810 flora of Australia by botanist Robert Brown. Often referred to as Prodromus Flora Novae Hollandiae, or by its standard botanical abbreviation Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland., it was the first attempt at a survey of the Australian flora...
after being collected in Shoalwater Bay, Queensland in September 1802, before reclassifying it in the genus Hakea
Hakea
Hakea is a genus of 149 species of shrubs and small trees in the Proteaceae, native to Australia. They are found throughout the country, with the highest species diversity being found in the south west of Western Australia....
in 1830, in his Supplementum primum prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae
Supplementum Primum Prodromi Florae Novae Hollandiae
Supplementum primum Prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae is an 1830 supplement to Robert Brown's Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. It may be referred to by its standard botanical abbreviation Suppl. Prodr. Fl. Nov...
. Its name lorea is derived from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
"made from thin strips of leather" and relates to its leaves. It belongs to a group of related species known as the corkbarks, or lorea group, within the genus Hakea, most of which are found across Australia's arid interior.
Two subspecies are currently recognised. The nominate subspecies lorea is found over much of central and northern Australia, while the subspecies borealis is found in the Kimberley and northern Northern Territory.
The species as it currently stands includes four species described over central and northern Australia which have been found to blend into one another evenly H. lorea, H. suberea, H. cunninghamii and the Queensland populations of H. fraseri (note that one remaining rare population of Hakea fraseri in New South Wales is considered a valid species).
Hakea lorea grows as a gnarled tree to 10 metres high, or shrub from 1 to 5 metres high. The trunk bears thick corklike bark with many furrows. The long thin leaves are either single or forked, and measure from 15 to 70 cm long and 1–2.5 mm wide. The inflorescences contain anywhere from 15 to 200 individual small flowers and are shades of yellow, white or green.
Hakea lorea ranges across the interior of central and northern Australia, from the southern Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
in the northeast, south to the Darling Downs in the southeast to northern South Australia and the Pilbara in the west.
It is a slow growing but attractive plant in cultivation, its leaves and bark a feature. Full sun and good drainage are helpful.