Ricinocarpos pinifolius

Ricinocarpos pinifolius, commonly known as wedding bush,[2] is a shrub of the family Euphorbiaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It has fragrant daisy-like flowers in spring.

Wedding bush
Ricinocarpos pinifolius flowers
Ricinocarpos pinifolius fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Ricinocarpos
Species:
R. pinifolius
Binomial name
Ricinocarpos pinifolius

Description

Ricinocarpos pinifolius is a small shrub 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in–9 ft 10 in) high and 1–2 m (3 ft 3 in–6 ft 7 in) wide with smooth branches. The smooth leaves are narrow, 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) wide, 1–4 cm (0.39–1.57 in) long and the leaf margin may be either rolled downwards or backwards on a petiole about 3 mm (0.12 in) long. The clusters of flowers are in leaf axils, usually 3-6 male and 1 female flower. The peduncle 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long, sepals 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long and the usually white petals 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long, egg-shaped and the stamens yellow. The calyx are 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long and almost as long as the petals. The seed capsule is roughly spherical shaped, about 12 mm (0.47 in) in diameter and thickly covered with spines.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Ricinocarpos pinifolius was first formally described in 1817 by René Louiche Desfontaines and the description was published in Memoires du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle.[5][6] The specific epithet (pinifolius) is from the Latin words pinus meaning "pine"[7]:609 and folium meaning "leaf".[7]:466

Distribution and habitat

The wedding bush is found in sandy soils in heath and open forests mostly in coastal locations in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.[2][8]

References
  1. "Ricinocarpos pinifolius". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  2. "Ricinocarpos pinifolius". PlantNet NSW Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  3. "Ricinocarpos pinifolius". Gardening With Angus. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  4. "Ricinocarpos pinifolius". VicFlora. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  5. "Ricinocarpos pinifolius". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  6. "Memoires du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle". Biodiversity Heritage Library. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  7. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  8. Fairley, Alan; Moore, Philip (2010). Native Plants of the Sydney Region. Jacana Books. ISBN 978-1-74175-571-8.


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