Brachychiton acerifolius

Brachychiton acerifolius
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Malvaceae
Genus:	Brachychiton
Species:	B. acerifolius
Binomial name
Brachychiton acerifolius (A.Cunn. ex G.Don) Macarthur & C. Moore

Brachychiton acerifolius, commonly known as the Illawarra Flame Tree, is a large tree of the family Malvaceae native to subtropical regions on the east coast of Australia. It is famous for the bright red bell-shaped flowers that often cover the whole tree when it is leafless. Along with other members of the genus Brachychiton, it is commonly referred to as a Kurrajong.

Naming and etymology

Brachychiton acerifolius was first described in 1855 by W. Macarthur and C. Moore. It is sometimes spelled as Brachychiton acerifolium, under the assumption that the genus name Brachychiton is (Greek) neuter. In fact, Brachychiton is masculine, and hence the correct species epithet is acerifolius. The name Brachychiton is derived from the Greek brachys, meaning short, and chiton, a type of tunic, as a reference to the coating on the seed. The specific epithet acerifolius suggests the appearance of the foliage is similar to that of the genus Acer, the maples.

Habit

This tree is tolerant of temperate climates and is now cultivated world-over for its beauty. However, the maximum height of 40 metres (130 ft) is reached only in the original, warmer, habitat. It usually grows to be about 20 metres (66 ft).

Foliage and flowers

Similarly to its Kurrajong relatives the leaves are variable, with up to 7 deep lobes. It is deciduous - shedding its leaves after the dry season. The spectacular flowering occurs in late spring and new foliage is ready for the summer rains. In areas where the winter is not particularly dry, this natural rhythm may become somewhat erratic and the tree may flower only partially.

Flowers are scarlet bells with 5 partially fused petals. The pod-like fruits (technically known as follicles) are dark brown, wide, boat-shaped and about 10 cm long. They contain masses of thin bristles that stick in the skin of humans, as well as yellow seeds. These are nutritious and were eaten by Aborigines after toasting.

Gallery

• Brachychiton Acerifolius-Flowers1.jpg

  Flowers.

• BrachychitonAcerifolius-FlowerDetail.jpg

  Flower detail.

• Brachychiton acerifolius Royal National Park.JPG

  Flame Tree flowering out of season in mid April 2009, Royal National Park, Australia

• Leaves of Brachychiton Acerifolius.jpg

  Leaves

Popular culture

Flame Trees is a song by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel from their 1984 album Twentieth Century, although the inspiration for the song was probably the more dominant poinsianas of Grafton, along with the difficult-to-rhyme jacarandas. It is one of their best known songs, and was written by drummer Steve Prestwich and organist Don Walker. The band's lead singer Jimmy Barnes planted a flame tree at the National Arboretum Canberra on 14 March 2011.

The Illawarra Flame Tree is the iconic logo for the Illawarra Credit Union.

See also

• Flame tree for other uses of Flame tree.

References

Notes

• Holliday, I. A field guide to Australian trees (3rd edition), Reed New Holland, 2002
• The University of Sydney: Our Indigenous garden

External links

• Photo gallery - Illawarra Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius)