Lagunaria

(de Candolle) Reichenbach

Consp. Regn. Veg., 202. 1828/1829.

Common names: Norfolk Island hibiscus cow itch tree
Introduced
Etymology: Genus Laguna, for Andrés de Laguna, 1499 – 1559 Spanish botanist and physician to Pope Julius III, and - aria, similarity
Basionym: Hibiscus sect. Lagunaria de Candolle in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 1: 454. 1824
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 276. Mentioned on page 215, 218.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA6 P32 Krapovickasia physaloides.jpegKrapovickasia physaloides
Lagunaria patersonia
Lavatera thuringiaca
Linny Heagy
Linny Heagy
Linny Heagy

Trees, evergreen. Stems erect; bark gray, smooth; twigs stellate-hairy and with peltate scales, glabrescent. Leaves: stipules deciduous, inconspicuous, filiform; blade ovate, unlobed, base rounded, margins entire. Inflorescences axillary, solitary flowers; involucel cuplike, bractlets persistent or deciduous, 3–5, often obscure or suppressed, connate basally. Flowers: calyx not accrescent, not inflated, lobes unribbed, wide-ovate, apex acute to rounded or irregularly lacerate; corolla wide-campanulate, pink to rose-pink, fading white; staminal column exserted; ovary 5-carpellate; ovules (3–) 5–10 per locule; style not branched; stigmas club-shaped. Fruits capsules, erect to pendulous, ovate, 5-locular, somewhat indurate-chartaceous, brown stellate-hairy covered with fine spicules, filled with irritant hairs reminiscent of fiberglass. Seeds (3–) 5–10 per locule, glabrous.

Distribution

Introduced; Calif., Pacific Islands (Lord Howe Island), Pacific Islands (Norfolk Island), e Australia

Discussion

Species 1 or 2 (1 in the flora).

The pinnately veined leaves of Lagunaria are exceptional for the family. The Queensland, Australia, population has recently (2006) been reclassified as L. queenslandica Craven, but there is controversy about its distinctness.

Selected References

None.

"fine" is not a number.

... more about "Lagunaria"
acute;rounded or irregularly lacerate +
Steven R. Hill +
(de Candolle) Reichenbach +
rounded +
Hibiscus sect. Lagunaria +
asymmetric +  and symmetric +
unlobed +  and ovate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
suppressed +  and obscure +
not inflated +
not accrescent +
indehiscent +  and loculicidal +
Norfolk Island hibiscus +  and cow itch tree +
fading white +, pink +  and rose-pink +
wide-campanulate +
Calif. +, Pacific Islands (Lord Howe Island) +, Pacific Islands (Norfolk Island) +  and e Australia +
sparse;copious +
Genus Laguna, for Andrés de Laguna, 1499 – 1559 Spanish botanist and physician to Pope Julius III, and - aria, similarity +
pistillate +  and staminate +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
erect +  and pendulous +
tough-fibrous +
connate +  and distinct +
simple +, stipulate +, sessile +, subsessile +  and petiolate +
distichous +  and alternate +
wide-ovate +
wedge--shaped +
5-carpellate +
5 +  and 10 +
adnate +  and distinct +
Consp. Regn. Veg., +
reniform +
persistent +
Introduced +
sessile +  and subsessile +
club--shaped +
1-2 times number of carpels +
inconspicuous +
not branched +
Mallow +
Lagunaria +
Malvaceae subfam. Malvoideae +
glabrescent +  and stellate-hairy +
monoecious +, dioecious +  and hermaphroditic +