Narrow-leaved apple
GenusAngophora
Speciesbakeri
AuthorityE.C.Hall[1]

Angophora bakeri, commonly known as the narrow-leaved apple,[2] is a species of tree that is endemic to New South Wales. It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three or seven, white or creamy white flowers and oval to cylindrical fruit.

Description

Angophora bakeri is a tree that typically grows to a height of 10-18 m and forms a lignotuber. It has rough, fibrous grey bark on the trunk and branches. Young plants and coppice regrowth have linear to narrow lance-shaped leaves that are more or less sessile, 50-100 mm long, 4-10 mm wide and arranged in opposite pairs. Adult leaves are thin, glossy green, paler on the lower surface, linear to narrow lance-shaped, 60-130 mm long, 5-10 mm wide on a petiole 3-10 mm long, and arranged in opposite pairs. The flower buds are arranged on the ends of branchlets in groups of three or seven on a peduncle 7-18 mm long, the individual buds on pedicels 4-11 mm long. Mature buds are 4-5 mm long and 4-6 mm wide. There are five sepals up to 1 mm (0.04 in) long and the petals are about 3 mm (0.1 in) long and wide. Flowering occurs from December to February and the flowers are white or creamy white. The fruit is an oval to cylindrical, pale brown or grey capsule 8-10 mm long and wide with ribbed sides.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Angophora bakeri was first formally described in 1913 by Edwin Cuthbert Hall in the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales.[5][6] The specific epithet honours Richard Thomas Baker.[4]

In 1986, G.J.Leach described two subspecies in the journalTelopea and the names have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census:[7]

Distribution and habitat

Narrow-leaved apple grows in sandy soil over sandstone and is widespread and locally abundant from Port Stephens to Nowra and as far west as Katoomba. There is also a disjunct population, previously known as Angophora exul, now a synonym of A. bakeri subsp. bakeri in the Gibraltar Range National Park.[2][4][3]

References

  1. ^ "Angophora bakeri". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  2. ^ Hill, Ken. "Angophora bakeri". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  3. ^ Chippendale, George M. "Angophora bakeri". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Canberra. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  4. ^ "Angophora bakeri subsp. bakeri". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Angophora bakeri". APNI. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  6. ^ Hall, Edwin C. (1913). "The seedlings of the Angophoras, and descriptions of a new species". Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales. 47: 101–105. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  7. ^ Leach, Gregory J. (1986). "A Revision of the genus Angophora (Myrtaceae)". Telopea. 2 (6): 749–779. doi:10.7751/telopea19864614. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Angophora bakeri subsp. bakeri". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  9. ^ "Angophora bakeri subsp. crassifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 4 March 2020.