Brachychiton discolor

<a title="Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0 &lt;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brachychiton_diversifolius_2.jpg"><img width="512" alt="Brachychiton diversifolius 2" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Brachychiton_diversifolius_2.jpg/512px-Brachychiton_diversifolius_2.jpg"></a>Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Malvales

Familia: Malvaceae
Subfamilia: Sterculioideae
Genus: Brachychiton
Sectio: B. sect. Brachychiton
Species: Brachychiton discolor
Name

Brachychiton discolor F.Muell.
Synonyms

Sterculia discolor (F.Muell.) F.Muell. ex Benth.
Brachychiton luridus C.Moore ex F.Muell.
Sterculia lurida (C.Moore ex F.Muell.) F.Muell. ex Benth.

Hybrids

B. × vinicolor
References

Fragm. 1:1. 1858
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Brachychiton discolor in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 07-Oct-06.

Brachychiton discolor is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It grows in drier rainforest areas. Scattered from Paterson, New South Wales (32° S) to Mackay, Queensland (21° S). There is also an isolated community of these trees at Cape York Peninsula.

Common names include lacebark tree, lace kurrajong, pink kurrajong, scrub bottle tree, white kurrajong, hat tree and sycamore.
Description

An attractive tree up to 30 metres tall featuring pink flowers without petals. The trunk is straight, grey and cylindrical, up to 75 cm in diameter. Not buttressed at the base. Twigs hairy, brown and smooth.

Leaves are hairy; lobed in three, five or seven points. 10 to 20 cm in diameter. Whitish underneath, dark green above. Leaf veins visible on both sides.

Flowers form from November to February. The flowers are pink, almost without stalks, 3 to 4 cm in diameter. Separate male and female flowers without petals. The fruit is a hairy boat shaped follicle maturing from December to July. 7 to 20 cm long, containing up to 30 seeds, 9 mm long. Germination from fresh seed occurs without difficulty.
Uses
Widely planted as an ornamental tree. Wood used as shields by Indigenous Australians. Roasted seeds edible to humans.

References

Floyd, A. G. (1989). Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia (1st ed.). Port Melbourne: Elsevier Australia - Inkata Imprint, copyright Forestry Commission of New South Wales (published 1989-12-01). p. 390. ISBN 0-909605-57-2. Retrieved 2009-06-21. (other publication details, included in citation)
"Brachychiton discolor". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Retrieved 2009-06-21.