Harpullia Alata
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''Harpullia alata'', common name -winged tulip or wing-leaved tulip, is a tree in the family
Sapindaceae The Sapindaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales known as the soapberry family. It contains 138 genera and 1858 accepted species. Examples include horse chestnut, maples, ackee and lychee. The Sapindaceae occur in tempera ...
, endemic to eastern Australia, and found from
Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
,
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
to
Grafton, New South Wales Grafton ( Bundjalung-Yugambeh: Gumbin Gir) is a city in the Northern Rivers region of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is located on the Clarence River, approximately by road north-northeast of the state capital Sydney. The closest m ...
.


Description

''Harpullia alata'' is a tree which grows to a height of 7 m. It has smooth parts except for its young growth and its inflorescences. The leaf rachis and its stem have broad toothed wings. The leaf rachis is 11–18 cm long, carrying 6 - 12 leaflets which are elliptic and 6–18 cm long by 2.5–7 cm wideon a stalk which is 6–10.5 cm long. The inflorescences occur in the axils and are 5–14 cm long, on an inflorescence stalk which is densely covered with very short soft hairs. The sepals are 7 mm long and the petals are 12 mm long. There are eight stamens. The ovary is covered in short, weak, soft hairs. The style is flat and reflexed. The sepals persist in fruit. There are 2 seeds per locule, which are almost enclosed in a yellow to red aril. This is the only Australian ''
Harpullia ''Harpullia'' is a genus of about 27 species of small to medium-sized rainforest trees from the family Sapindaceae. They have a wide distribution ranging from India eastwards through Malesia, Papuasia and Australasia to the Pacific Islands. The ...
'' species that has dentate margins on the leaflets and has wings on the leaf stem.


Habitat

It grows in rainforest.


Taxonomy & naming

The species was formally described in 1860 by Victorian government botanist
Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vict ...
from a specimen collected by Dr
Hermann Beckler Dr. Hermann Beckler (28 September 1828, in Höchstädt an der Donau – 10 December 1914, in Fischen im Allgäu) was a German doctor with an interest in botany. He went to Australia to collect specimen for Ferdinand von Mueller and served as medi ...
near the Clarence River in New South Wales. The species epithet, ''alata'', is a Latin adjective meaning "winged", and describes the plant as being "winged". The type specimen is held at Kew (K
k000701234


References


External links


Flickr images for ''Harpullia alata''''Harpullia alata'' occurrence data (AVH)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q18080450 alata Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller Plants described in 1860