Lophostemon confertus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Lophostemon
Species:
L. confertus
Binomial name
Lophostemon confertus
(R.Br.) Peter G.Wilson & J.T.Waterh.
Synonyms[2]
  • Lophostemon arborescens Schott
  • Melaleuca conferta (R.Br.) Steud.
  • Tristania conferta R.Br.
  • Tristania conferta Griff. Misapplied
  • Tristania depressa A.Cunn.
  • Tristania griffithii Kurz
  • Tristania macrophylla A.Cunn.
  • Tristania subverticillata H.Wendl.

Lophostemon confertus (syn. Tristania conferta), is an evergreen tree native to Australia, though it is cultivated in the United States and elsewhere. Common names include brush box, Queensland box, Brisbane box, pink box, box scrub, and vinegartree.[3] Its natural range in Australia is north-east New South Wales and coastal Queensland but it is commonly used as a street tree in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and other cities in eastern Australia.[4]

Description

In the wild its habitat ranges from moist open forest and rainforest ecotones, where it might reach heights of 40 metres or more, to coastal headlands where it acquires a stunted, wind-sheared habit. Dome-like in shape, it has a denser foliage with dark green, leathery leaves and hence provides more shade than eucalyptus trees. Moreover, it is considered safer than eucalypts because it rarely sheds limbs.

Habitat

It is considered useful as a street tree, due to its disease and pest resilience, its high tolerance for smog, drought and poor drainage, and the fact that it needs only moderate-to-light upkeep.[5] It often requires lopping to accommodate overhead power lines, but survives pruning quite well.[6] In form it is used as a replacement for the weedy Camphor Laurel (Cinnamomum camphora) while having a low potential for being weedy itself. The tree is one of the hardiest and most successful street trees within wider Sydney and elsewhere. One of the best examples is the garden suburb of Haberfield in Sydney where the streets are planted almost entirely with the tree. When the land was subdivided in 1901 the trees were planted in the road reserve creating a regular pattern and well shaded streets.

Taxonomy

The species was formally described in 1812 by Scottish botanist Robert Brown, based on plant material collected from the Hunter River region in New South Wales. Brown named the species Tristania conferta. The species was transferred to the genus Lophostemon in 1982.[7]

References

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  1. ↑ IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group & Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). (2020). "Lophostemon confertus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T178030014A178030072. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T178030014A178030072.en. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species".
  3. ↑ F.A. Zich; B.P.M Hyland; T. Whiffen; R.A. Kerrigan (2020). "Lophostemon confertus". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, Edition 8. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Atlas of Living Australia".
  5. ↑ Friends of the Urban Forest
    http://www.fuf.net/tree/brisbane-box/
  6. ↑ Shire of Yarra Ranges, Streetscape Strategy
    "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-27. Retrieved 2012-10-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ↑ "' 'Tristania conferta R.Br". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
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