[Fwd: Hymenosporum flavum (Native Frangipani)]

Sorry meant to send this to the Med list, but my finger slipped.
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New Zealand)

  • To: e*@iinet.net.au
  • Subject: Re: Hymenosporum flavum (Native Frangipani)
  • From: T* &* M* R*
  • Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 10:31:06 +1200
  • References: <39900AD0.BEDCC9C5@iinet.net.au>
Julius & Beverly Elischer wrote:
> 
> While looking at the Eastern States flora in the Kings Park Botanic
> Garden today, one of our group maintained that she had seen this tree
> growing in New Zealand forests. As far as any of us can ascertain, it is
> native only to the rain forests in north-eastern New South Wales and
> south-eastern Queensland. I said I would check with experts! Can you
> give a ruling on this, Tony and Moira? Thankyou.
> 
Hi Beverly

Well If the lady had seen Hymenosporum in NZ bush it can only have been
an escape from cultivation and I think even this is unlikely as it is
not mentioned in my new and pretty comprehensive book on local weeds.
Although popularly called "Frangipanni" I see it  actually belongs to
the Pittosporaceae, but the only NZ genus cited in the Flora for this
family is Pittosporum itself (with a huge raft of endmic species).

My Australian Wildflower Catalogue lists Hymenosporum's natural range as
Queensland and north  NSW, and Botanica says it also extends to New
Guinea and gives its growing range as tropical to Mediterranean.

It can certainly be grown in some favoured parts of our North Island (I
have seen it myself in Wanganui) and I suppose could conceivably go
feral (if one can say this of plants) in the far north, but I have no
evidence that it has so far done so. A case of misidentification I
should say.

Moira

-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New Zealand)

Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index