''Hymenosporum'' is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

in the family

Pittosporaceae Pittosporaceae is a family of flowering plants that consists of 200–240 species of trees, shrubs, and lianas in 9 genera. Habitats range from tropical to temperate climates of the Afrotropical, Indomalayan, Oceanian, and Australasian realms. T ...

. The sole included species is ''Hymenosporum flavum'', commonly known as native frangipani, which is a

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

tree native to

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

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_ ...

and

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the

frangipani ''Plumeria'' (), known as frangipani, is a genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Rauvolfioideae, of the family Apocynaceae. Most species are deciduous shrubs or small trees. The species variously are endemic to Mexico, Central America, and ...

, but is related to the widespread genus ''

Pittosporum ''Pittosporum'' ( or ) is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Pittosporaceae. The genus is probably Gondwanan in origin; its present range extends from Australasia, Oceania, eastern Asia and some parts of Africa. '' Ci ...

''.

Description

''Hymenosporum flavum'' is a semi-deciduous tree up to high and a trunk diameter ( DBH) to . The

obovate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

leaves are

simple Simple or SIMPLE may refer to: *Simplicity, the state or quality of being simple Arts and entertainment * ''Simple'' (album), by Andy Yorke, 2008, and its title track * "Simple" (Florida Georgia Line song), 2018 * "Simple", a song by Johnn ...

alternate Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

, glossy green above and lighter below. They measure up to long by wide. and are clustered towards the ends of the branches in pseudo-whorls. The very fragrant flowers are quite large, about diameter with a

floral tube In angiosperms, a hypanthium or floral cup is a structure where basal portions of the Sepal, calyx, the petal, corolla, and the stamens form a cup-shaped tube. It is sometimes called a floral tube, a term that is also used for corolla tube and cal ...

up to long. They are initially functionally male, and coloured white with lemon tinges. Over a period of about 5 days the stigma begins to develop and the

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s curl away. At the same time the colour deepens until the fully functioning female flower is golden yellow with red/purple track lines in the throat. The fruit is a

dehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...

, two-chambered capsule, black/brown, densely hairy and about wide and long. Seeds are about long with a wing. They are numerous, and stacked together to fill each chamber.

Phenology

Flowering occurs from early spring to early summer, and the fruit ripen around May.

Taxonomy

This species was first described in 1854 by the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

and illustrator

William Jackson Hooker Sir William Jackson Hooker (6 July 178512 August 1865) was an English botanist and botanical illustrator, who became the first director of Kew when in 1841 it was recommended to be placed under state ownership as a botanic garden. At Kew he ...

as ''Pittosporum flavum''. In 1860 the German born Australian 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 ...

transferred it to the genus ''Hymenosporum'' in his work '' Fragmenta phytographiæ Australiæ''.

Etymology

The genus name ''Hymenosporum'' is derived from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

words humḗn, meaning membrane, and sporā́, meaning seed. It is a reference to the winged seeds. The species epithet ''flavum'' is from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

flāvus, yellow, and refers to the flower colour.

Cultivation

Native frangipani is widely cultivated and usually grows to around 8 metres in height although it can grow to over 20 metres tall in the

. It can be grown in shaded positions, but flowers best in full sun. In Australia, the tree is commonly planted in suburban streets, in shopping boulevards and in walkways between tall buildings. It prefers a well-drained soil with a high organic content, but is highly adaptable. Very young

seedling A seedling is a young sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle (embryonic root), the hypocotyl (embry ...

s are easily killed by frosts but if kept in a sheltered position until about 1–1.5 metres high, will thrive in cooler areas, as long as they have access to water during hot dry spells. ''Hymenosporum flavum'' is included in the

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

n Fire Service's list of low

flammability A combustible material is something that can burn (i.e., ''combust'') in air. A combustible material is flammable if it ignites easily at ambient temperatures. In other words, a combustible material ignites with some effort and a flammable mat ...

plants, indicating that it is suitable for growing within a building protection zone.

Gallery

Image:Hymenosporum flavum flowers Port Macquarie.jpg, ''Hymenosporum flavum'' flowers growing at

Port Macquarie Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The town is located on the Tasman Sea co ...

Image:Hymensoporum flavum flowers.jpg, ''Hymenosporum flavum'' Image:Hymenosporum_flavum_Native_fragipani_ჰიმენოსპორუმი_(2).JPG, Leaves and flowers File:Hymenosporum flavum 1.jpg, Flowers close up File:Hymenosporum flavum, loof en vrugkapsules, Nieuw Muckleneuk.jpg, Seed capsules File:170411 588 Encinitas - San Diego Botanic Gdn, Australian Gdn, Hymenosporum flavum Sweet Shade Tree hiding under a giant Eucalyptus (33744468214).jpg, Mature tree flowering File:Native frangipani flowers.jpg, Scented flowers File:Australian frangipani flowers.jpg, Flowers start as white, then age to yellow and finally coppery orange

References

External links

* *
View a map
of historical sightings of this species at the

Australasian Virtual Herbarium The ''Australasian Virtual Herbarium'' (AVH) is an online resource that allows access to plant specimen data held by various Australian and New Zealand herbaria. It is part of the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA), and was formed by the amalgamat ...

View observations
of this species on

iNaturalist iNaturalist is a social network of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists built on the concept of mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity across the globe. iNaturalist may be accessed via its website or from its mobile applic ...

View images
of this species on Flickriver
PlantNET-New South Wales Flora online: ''Hymenosporum flavum''
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q16389872, from2=Q2495026 Pittosporaceae Apiales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Flora of New Guinea Monotypic Apiales genera Trees of Australia Ornamental trees Garden plants of Australia Garden plants Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)