Lomatia hirsuta (Lam.) Diels

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T., et al. 2007. Proteaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 100: 1-218. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Proteaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Lomatia hirsuta (Lam.) Diels

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree, or shrub, to 5(-8) m tall; outer bark of twigs buff (occasionally brown), often splitting longitudinally and peeling, underlying bark red-brown to dark brown; lenticels red-brown, round (occasionally ovate or oblong); young twigs ferruginous pubescent. Leaves simple, shiny above, matte below; serrate (occasionally entire), the serration type convex-straight to convex-concave, the teeth mucronate with mucros red-brown to brown, sinuses angular, spacing of teeth irregular or occasionally regular; buds elongate, at least 3 x longer than wide; leaves simple, drying light brown to almost black, 3-13(-20) × 1-7.5(-10.5) cm; juvenile leaves to 30 × 11 cm; petiole 0.7-3.5 cm long; lamina elliptic to suborbiculate, to narrowly ovate to widely ovate, occasional leaves widely obovate; base rounded to obtuse (occasionally truncate, acute or cuneate), usually slightly decurrent, ± symmetrical to asymmetrical; apex obtuse, occasionally rounded, acute or mucronate; very young leaves ferruginous pubescent; venation disorganized, prominent to obscure, raised or not (occasionally sunken), the pattern difficult to classify: brochidodromous to cladodromous to reticulodromous, often with a mix of patterns on one leaf. Inflorescences ferruginous-pubescent, 2-9 cm long; flowers white to dull yellow to greenish; gynoecium reddish to reddish-purple; bracteoles 5-6 × ca. 5 mm, outer surface pilose, glabrous within, margin ciliate, very widely ovate; peduncle 0.4-1.3 cm long; mature flowers 0.7-1. l cm long; gynoecium 7-11mm long; stipe 2-3.5 mm long; ovary 23 mm long, 0.5-1 mm wide; ovules 2 × 10 to 2 × 11; style 2-3 mm long, the apex 1.5-2.5 × 1.3-2 mm, ovate to elliptic to round with edges swollen and irregularly lobed; stigmatic surface at center, raised, yellow; anthers 1-1.5(-2) mm long, ca 0.75-1.5 mm wide, oblong to ovate, yellow; connective red-brown with an acute tip; hypogynous nectary glands three, lobes closely juxtaposed throughout or weakly distinct towards the apex; peduncles ferruginous pubescent; perianth pilose, the anther pouches pubescent (occasionally villous), glabrous within; gynoecium always glabrous above the ovary, pilose to glabrous beneath. Fruit curved on both sides, widest at the center or apical end, the sides ± flattened, the cross section ovate to oblong; inner surface of dehisced fruits covered with short, transverse, white fibers, shed to reveal a pale brown irregularly sculpted surface; dehisced fruits initially with seeds held in by fibers originating at the split edge of the follicle; follicles 1.6-4.0 cm long, 0.4-0.8cm wide; peduncle 0.6-1.4 cm long; stipe 0.5-1.0 cm long; style persistent as a small point at the apex of the follicle. Seeds buff, oblong to triangular, convex on one side, concave the on other or ± flat; when curved, irregularly ridged on the convex side and ± smooth on the concave side; cotyledons truncate at one end, buff; seed 3.5-6 mm long, 2.5-5 mm wide; seed and wing 11-18 mm long, 4-6.5 mm wide; wing slightly grooved near tip, with the vascular strand persisting on only one edge in mature seeds; dissepiment red-brown turning dark brown/black, fitting seed exactly, but a little shorter than the wing.