Pladaroxylon
| Pladaroxylon | |
|---|---|
_p407_-_PLATE_44_-_Pladaroxylon_Leucadendron.jpg)
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| Pladaroxylon leucadendron[1] | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Subfamily: | Asteroideae |
| Tribe: | Senecioneae |
| Genus: | Pladaroxylon Hook.f. |
| Species: | P. leucadendron
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| Binomial name | |
| Pladaroxylon leucadendron | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
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List
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Pladaroxylon is a genus of trees in the tribe Senecioneae within the family Asteraceae.[4][5][6]
The only known species is Pladaroxylon leucadendron, native to the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. Common name is he cabbage-tree.[4][7][8]
Description[edit]
Pladaroxylon leucadendron is a small tree, only growing to 5 meters in height, with relatively large and cabbage like leaves.[9][10] The trees branch at regular intervals into two equal sized limbs and all the leaves are at the furthest ends of the branches. As typical of the family it has flower heads (capitula) with many flowers crowded together in one structure that resembles a single flower. Each of these flower heads grows together with many others in a cluster called a corymb.[9] The flower heads have white petals (ray flowers) which make the clusters resemble a head of cauliflower and bloom during July.[1]
Taxonomy[edit]
The species was given its first scientific description in 1803 by Carl Ludwig Willdenow, however he named it as Solidago leucadendron, the same name previously given by Georg Forster to the species now known as Senecio leucadendron making it a botanical illegitimate name.[11] It was then described in 1838 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle with the name Lachanodes leucadendron. The same year, but slightly later, Stephan Endlicher described it and named it Lachanodes pladaroxylon.[3] The genus Pladaroxylon was named by Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1870,[12] when he moved the species to its own genus.[3]
Range and distribution[edit]
The species is endemic to the Island of Saint Helena. On the island it was only found on the central ridge from 720 to 800 meters.[13] As of 2015[update] only 55 mature individuals were known to survive in the wild.[2]
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Mature Pladaroxylon leucadendron tree on St Helena
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Melliss, John Charles (1875). St. Helena : A Physical, Historical, and Topographical Description of the Island, Including Its Geology, Fauna, Flora and Meteorology. London: L. Reeve & Co. pp. 289–290, 300. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ a b Lambdon, P.W.; Ellick, S. (2016). "Pladaroxylon leucadendron". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T37596A67371569. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T37596A67371569.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ a b c "Pladaroxylon leucadendron (DC.) Hook.f." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ a b Hooker, Joseph Dalton. 1970. Hooker's Icones Plantarum 11: pages 42-43 descriptions in Latin, commentary and geographic information in English
- ^ Hooker, Joseph Dalton. 1970. Hooker's Icones Plantarum 11: plate 1055 line drawing of Pladaroxylon leucadendron
- ^ Tropicos, Pladaroxylon Hook. f.
- ^ Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist Archived 2014-11-06 at archive.today
- ^ Cronk, Quentin C. B. (1995). The Endemic Flora of St Helena. Oswestry, Shropshire: Anthony Nelson Ltd.
- ^ a b Bremer, Kåre; Anderberg, Arne A.; Karis, Per Ola; Nordenstam, Bertil; Lundberg, Johannes; Ryding, Olof (1994). Asteraceae : Cladistics & Classification. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. pp. 507–508. ISBN 978-0-88192-275-2. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ Carlquist, Sherwin John (1974). Island Biology. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 417. ISBN 978-0-231-03562-0. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ "Solidago leucadendron G.Forst". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ "Pladaroxylon Hook.f." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ Oldfield, Sara; Lusty, Charlotte; MacKinven, Amy (1998). The World List of Threatened Trees. Cambridge, United Kingdom: World Conservation Press. p. 432. ISBN 978-1-899628-10-0. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
External links[edit]
Media related to Pladaroxylon at Wikimedia Commons
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