Hello Frank,
May I clarify the situation re *Brachychiton* nomenclature in
Queensland? You wrote (birding-aus, Fri 26 March):
>
> Flame tree, or coral tree to those in Qld, (Brachychiton populneus), also in
> the Sydney region, is deciduous to semi deciduous, varying between
> indivduals and within indivduals between seasons, as to onset, extent an
> duration of deciduous period.
>
The Flora of South Eastern Queensland, Volume 2 (Stanley & Ross, Q. Dept of
Primary Industries, 1986), pages 83/84, gives:
Brachychiton populneus as Kurrajong
B. acerifolium as Flame Tree; Flame Kurrajong
And it gives Sterculia diversifolia and S. acerifolia, respectively, as
(presently invalid) synonyms for them.
W D Francis, "Australian Rainforest Trees", 1951 edition, also gives Flame
Tree and Flame Kurrajong as the common names for B. acerifolium. (B.
populneus is not a rainforest species.)
E H F Swain, "The Timbers and Forest Products of Queensland" (1928) uses
"Flame Kurrajong" not Flame tree for what he records as "Brachychiton
acerifoilum, Syn. Sterculia acerifolia". As head of the Queensland Forest
Service he was aiming to standardise vernacular names for timbers, as
distinct from living trees, and he listed Black, Brown, Flame, Forest and
White Kurrajongs. He applied Black Kurrajong to:
" Brachychiton populneum, Syn. Sterculia diversifolia (Southern species),
and Brachychiton diversifolium Syn. Sterculia cordata (Northern species)."
The "Comprehensive Catalogue of Queensland Plants both Indigenous and
Naturalised" by F M Bailey (no date but the "Prefatory and Other Notes" are
dated 22nd November, 1909) lists (p. 62) Sterculia acerifolia as
"Flame-tree" (and gives no other vernacular name); and S. diversifolia as
Kurrajong.
Bailey applies "Coral-tree" to Erythrina indica, (p. 143) and adds:
"Probably, from its lightness and other properties, the wood of this
tree, which is abundant both in Northern Queensland and New Guinea, may
prove suitable in the manufacture of aeroplanes."
(That is the only "Coral Tree" reference I found.)
The Queensland Flora, F. M. Bailey, Volume 1, (1899), p.138 shows Sterculia
acerifolia as the Flame Tree, with no alternative vernacular name; and S.
diversifolia as Kurrajong.
A B & J W Cribb (two Queenslanders) in "Wild Food in Australia" reckon
Brachychiton populneum to be Kurrajong. They do not list B. acerifolium as a
source of food.
It thus appears that in Queensland, the taxon presently known as
Brachychiton populneus is known, and always has been, as Kurrajong, and B.
acerifolium as Flame Tree; neither as Coral Tree.
Cheers
Syd Curtis in Brisbane
--------------------------------------------
Birding-Aus is now on the Web at
www.birding-aus.org
--------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message 'unsubscribe
birding-aus' (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
