Correa (plant)

''Correa'' is a genus of eleven species of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae that are endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus ''Correa'' are shrubs to small trees with simple leaves arranged in opposite pairs, bisexual flowers with four sepals, four petals usually fused for most of their length and eight stamens.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Correa'' are shrubs to small trees with simple leaves arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are bisexual and are arranged in cymes in leaf axils or on the ends of branchlets. The four sepals are fused, at least at the base, forming a cup-shaped calyx. The four petals are usually fused for most of their length to form a tubular corolla and the eight stamens are free from each other. There are four carpels fused at the base, the four styles are fused and the stigma is similar to the style. The follicles contain up to two dull brown seed that are released explosively.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Correa'' was first formally described in 1798 by Henry Cranke Andrews in ''The Botanist's Repository for New, and Rare Plants'' and the first species he described was ''Correa alba''. The genus is named after the Portuguese botanist José Correia da Serra (1750–1823), known as Abbé Correa.

Species list

The following is a list of species, subspecies and varieties of ''Correa'' accepted by the Australian Plant Census as at July 2020:
*'' Correa aemula'' (Lindl.) F.Muell. (S.A., Vic.) - hairy correa
*''Correa alba'' Andrews (S.A., N.S.W., Vic., Tas.) - white correa
**''C. alba'' Andrews var. ''alba'' (N.S.W., Vic., Tas.)
**''C. alba'' var. ''pannosa'' Paul G.Wilson (S.A., Vic.) - velvet white correa
**''C. alba'' Andrews var. ''rotundifolia'' DC (Tas.) - Dunally correa
*'' Correa backhouseana'' Hook. (W.A., S.A., Vic., Tas.)
**''C. backhouseana'' Hook. var. ''backhouseana'' (Vic., Tas.) - coast correa, velvet correa
**''C. backhouseana'' var. ''coriacea'' (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson (W.A., S.A.)
**''C. backhouseana'' var. ''orbicularis'' Paul G.Wilson (Kangaroo Island) - round-leaf correa
*'' Correa baeuerlenii'' F.Muell. (N.S.W.) - chef's hat correa
*'' Correa calycina'' J.M.Black (S.A.) - South Australian green correa
**''Correa calycina'' J.M.Black var. ''calycina'' (S.A.) - Hindmarsh correa
**''Correa calycina'' var. ''halmaturorum'' Paul G.Wilson (S.A.) - De Mole River correa
*'' Correa decumbens'' F.Muell. (S.A.) - spreading correa
*'' Correa eburnea'' Paul G.Wilson (S.A.) - Deep Creek correa
*'' Correa glabra'' Lindl. (S.A., Qld., N.S.W., Vic.) - rock correa
**''C. glabra'' Lindl. var. ''glabra'' (Qld., N.S.W., Vic.)
**''C. glabra'' var. ''leucoclada'' (Lindl.) Paul G.Wilson (S.A.,N.S.W.)
** ''C. glabra'' var. ''turnbullii'' (Ashby) Paul G.Wilson (S.A.) - narrow-bell correa
*'' Correa lawrenceana'' Hook. (N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic. Tas.) - mountain correa
** ''C. lawrenceana'' var. ''cordifolia'' Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic.) - pink mountain-correa
** ''C. lawrenceana'' var. ''genoensis'' Paul G.Wilson Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W., Vic.) - Genoa River correa.
** ''C. lawrenceana'' var. ''glandulifera'' Paul G.Wilson (Qld., N.S.W.)
** ''C. lawrenceana'' var. ''grampiana'' Paul G.Wilson (Vic.) - Grampians mountain-correa
** ''C. lawrenceana.'' var. ''latrobeana'' (F.Muell. ex Hannaford) Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W., Vic.)
** ''C. lawrenceana'' Hook. var.'' lawrenceana'' (Tas., A.C.T.)
** ''C. lawrenceana'' var. ''macrocalyx'' (Blakely) Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W.)
** ''C. lawrenceana'' var. ''rosea'' Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W.) - red mountain correa
*'' Correa pulchella'' Sweet (S.A.) - salmon correa
*'' Correa reflexa'' (Labill.) Vent. (S.A., Qld., N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic., Tas.) - common correa, native fuchsia
**''C. reflexa'' (Labill.) Vent. var. ''reflexa'' - Common Correa
** ''C. reflexa'' var. ''angustifolia'' Paul G.Wilson (Vic.) - Grampians correa
**''C. reflexa'' var. ''insularis'' Paul G.Wilson (S.A.)
** ''C. reflexa'' var. ''lobata'' Paul G.Wilson (Vic.) - Powelltown correa
** ''C. reflexa'' var. ''nummulariifolia'' (Hook.f.) Paul G.Wilson (Tas.) - roundleaf correa
**''C. reflexa'' Paul G.Wilson var. ''reflexa'' (S.A., Qld., N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic., Tas.) - western correa
**''C. reflexa'' var. ''scabridula'' Paul G.Wilson (S.A., Vic.) - western correa
** ''C. reflexa'' var. ''speciosa'' (Donn ex Andrews) Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W., Vic.) - eastern correa

Use in horticulture

Many ''Correa'' hybrids are grown in Australian gardens. They are generally easy to grow. ''Correa alba'' and ''C. glabra'' varieties are the hardiest withstanding heavy frost and severe droughts. They can be grown in either full sun or a partly shaded spot in the garden. ''Correa glabra'' varieties have fragrant leaves. ''Correa lawrenceana'' is the largest of the correas. These need to be grown in the shade and do best in an understorey habitat. They are highly attractive to birds for both nectar and nest sites and are ideally planted in a thicket. ''Correa pulchella'' varieties produce the most beautiful coloured bells ranging from pale pink to deep orange to carmine. They need to be grown in part shade and watered regularly. ''Correa reflexa'' varieties range in colour from green to deep red. They also need to be grown in a partly shaded position and watered regularly. Some ''Correa'' species, such as ''C. eburnea'' and ''C. calycina'', are endangered and difficult to obtain in the nursery trade.

There are also hundreds of named cultivars, many of which have been registered with the Australian Cultivar Registration Authority
ACRA
.

In cultivation in the UK the following species and cultivars have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-
*''Correa backhouseana''
*''Correa pulchella''
*''Correa reflexa''
*''Correa'' 'Dusky Bells'
*''Correa'' 'Mannii'

References

Further reading

"Correas: Australian Plants for Waterwise Gardens" Maria Hitchcock Rosenberg 2010

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Zanthoxyloideae genera
Taxa named by Henry Cranke Andrews