''Gossypium sturtianum'', or Sturt's desert rose, is a woody

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

, closely related to cultivated cotton, found in most mainland states of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and the Northern Territory. It is also known as the Darling River rose, cotton rosebush and Australian cotton. The plant has a life span of about 10 years, growing from 1–2 m tall and 1–2 m wide. The flowers are up to 12 cm in diameter: they can be seen for most of the year but peak in late winter. The colour of the petals ranges from

pale pink Pale may refer to: Jurisdictions * Medieval areas of English conquest: ** Pale of Calais, in France (1360–1558) ** The Pale, or the English Pale, in Ireland *Pale of Settlement, area of permitted Jewish settlement, western Russian Empire (179 ...

to dark purple to

maroon Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown". According to multiple dictionaries, there are var ...

. The five petals are arranged in a whorl and have a dark red centre. The leaves are different shades of green, round and strongly scented when crushed.

Taxonomy

Two varieties are often recognized. * ''G. sturtianum'' var. ''nandewarense'' (Derera) Fryxell is found only in north-eastern New South Wales (around Narrabri) and the

Expedition Range Expedition Range is a mountain range within the Central Highlands sandstone region of Queensland, Australia. Robinson Creek cuts a 100 metres deep gorge through sandstone clifflines. Many spectacular side gorges add to the appeal of the area, ...

in central Queensland. * ''G. sturtianum'' var. ''sturtianum'' is more common and is found everywhere else. ''G. sturtianum'' var. ''trilobum'' (F.Muell.) J.H.Willis is sometimes considered a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

of ''

Gossypium robinsonii ''Gossypium'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Gossypieae of the mallow family, Malvaceae, from which cotton is harvested. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Old and New Worlds. There are about 50 ''Gossypium ...

''.

Ecology

The Sturt's desert rose is found in sandy and gravelly soils, along dry

creek A creek in North America and elsewhere, such as Australia, is a stream that is usually smaller than a river. In the British Isles it is a small tidal inlet. Creek may also refer to: People * Creek people, also known as Muscogee, Native Americans ...

beds, watercourses, gorges and rocky slopes. Adaptations for this plant include: * There are fewer stomata (the pores that release gas in the leaves), or they are protected. The stomata on the Sturt's desert rose are found on the underside of the leaf. This results in reduced water loss. * They have internal water storage. * They have deep root systems, so are able to reach water deep under the ground. Sturt's desert rose contains gossypol, a chemical toxic to animals other than ruminants. The first European to see the flower was Charles Sturt in 1844–45, after whom it is named. In 1947, James Hamlyn Willis gave the shrub its current botanical name. It is not considered to be at risk in the wild. It is the floral emblem of the Northern Territory and appears in stylised form on the official flag with seven rather than five petals.Sturt's Desert Rose – Floral Emblem of the Northern Territory
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References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q339803 sturtianum Malvales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Flora of the Northern Territory Rosids of Western Australia Rare flora of Australia Charles Sturt