Malvaceae Wildflowers

Boab or Adansonia

Member - John and Val — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 05:24:00 GMT

Families of boabs march across the Kimberley landscape, slim youngsters, sturdy middle aged ones, stout grandparents . Boabs grow into a large tree with swollen bottle shaped trunk. Found only in the Kimberley of WA and extending east into the NT. Large flowers are white or cream. Deciduous in dry season. Seeds are contained in a large hard-shelled pod.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Adansonia Species: gregorii Main Flower Colour: Cream

Brachychiton

Member - John and Val — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 06:03:00 GMT

Bare branches make this Brachychiton conspicuous in the dry season. It is a small deciduous tree that grows in rocky places. The branches are bare when the large bright red flowers appear, followed by distinctive star shaped seed pods. Related to Kurrajong and Queensland Bottle Tree.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Brachychiton Species: unknown Main Flower Colour: Red

Coast Velvetbush

Stephen L (Clare) SA — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 04:40:00 GMT

A medium to tall shrub. Leaves: The leathery leaves are between 2-8 cm long and 0.5-1 cm wide. The leaf margins are wavy and curve back towards the underside of the leaf. The upper surface is dark green and the lower surface pale grey and densely covered with star shaped hairs. Flowers: The flowers are pale-pink or white and star shaped. They are also stalkless, up to 10mm wide and crowded at the ends of the branches. Flowering occurs in spring. Fruit: The fruit is a hairy capsule up to 8 mm wide. When the fruit opens, there is one seed in each chamber (description from Cunningham et al.1992, Curtis & Morris 1975). Herbarium specimens have been collected from September to December.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Lasiopetalum Species: discolor Main Flower Colour: Mauve

Common Firebush

Stephen L (Clare) SA — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 04:40:00 GMT

Shrub to 1 m high, rusty-tomentose. Leaves mostly oblong and 1–3 cm long, rarely lanceolate and to 5 cm long, 6–11 mm wide, margins entire or almost so; upper surface glabrous to finely pubescent with veins scarcely visible, lower surface white-tomentose and sprinkled with rusty-stellate hairs; petiole 3–6 mm long. Cymes loose, c. as long as the leaves. Calyx 6–10 mm long, bluish to purplish, pubescent, lobes acute. Fruit 5–7 mm diam., white-tomentose, mostly deeply 3–5-lobed with lobes separating at maturity; lobes usually 1-seeded, not readily dehiscent.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Keraudrenia Species: integrifolia Main Flower Colour: Purple

Drooping Velvet Bush

Stephen L (Clare) SA — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 04:40:00 GMT

Lasiopetalum schulzenii, commonly known as drooping velvet bush, is a common shrub of the mallow family. It was first described in the genus Corethrostylis by botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in a paper presented before the Royal Society of Victoria; that genus was treated as a section of Lasiopetalum by George Bentham in his 1863 Flora Australiensis, resulting in the current name.[1] The species was named after the 19th century botanist Ludwig F. Schulzen.[2] Lasiopetalum schulzenii is a spreading many-stemmed densely foliaged shrub to 2 m (7 ft) in height and 2.5 m (8 ft) across. The grey-green foliage is covered in fine hair, which is particularly prominent on new growth. The leaves are heart-shaped (cordate),[3] and measure 2–7 cm (0.8-2.8 in) long and 1.5–5 cm (0.6-2 in) wide with recurved margins. Flowering occurs September to February, the cymes bearing from five to twelve five-pointed star-shaped flowers. 1.5 cm (0.6 in) in diameter, the calyces are whitish, and desnely covered with fine hair on the outside, and less so or smooth on the inside. The five tiny petals are a dark red-brown around the centre of the flower. Flowering is followed by round hairy fruit 0.4 cm (0.2 in) in diameter. It is found in South Australia, and in coastal areas of south-western Victoria, where it is rare. It grows on alkaline sands, and is associated with Eucalyptus diversifolia subsp. megacarpa.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Lasiopetalum Species: schulzenii Main Flower Colour: Cream

Dunna Dunna

John Baas — Sun, 25 May 2014 10:12:00 GMT

Erect, cactus-like shrub, (0.1-)0.3-1.5 m high. Fl. yellow-green, Jul to Dec. Sandy soils, clay. Gypsum & limestone ridges, near salt lakes.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Lawrencia Species: helmsii Main Flower Colour: Yellow

Guichenotia macrantha

Member - John and Val — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 04:41:00 GMT

Small shrub to about 1m tall. Leaves whitish and furry, elongated, with edges rolled under. Petals almost non-existant, but the flower consistes mainly of calyx segments that are brightly coloured and ribbed on the back. Flowers 2cm across with dark central structures (stigma or pollen receptor).
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Guichenotia Species: macrantha Main Flower Colour: Mauve

Keraudrenia

Alan McCall — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 07:38:00 GMT

Family: Malvaceae Genus: Keraudrenia Species: velutina Main Flower Colour: Purple

Keraudrenia velutina

John Baas — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 04:41:00 GMT

Shrub, 0.4-2 m high. Fl. blue-purple, Feb to Dec. Variety of soils.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Keraudrenia Species: velutina Main Flower Colour: Purple

Kimberley Rose

Krzysztof B — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 04:41:00 GMT

Family: Malvaceae Genus: Brachychiton Species: unknown Main Flower Colour: Red

Kimberley Rose

Krzysztof B — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 04:42:00 GMT

Family: Malvaceae Genus: Brachychiton Species: unknown Main Flower Colour: Red

Native Hollyhock

Stephen L (Clare) SA — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 15:04:00 GMT

It has an annual to short-lived perennial life-cycle, and can be grown in cultivation as an annual or biennial. It has a herbaceous to sub-shrubby habit, with erect to decumbent stems extending to 1m (occasionally to 2m); the younger parts are sparsely stellate-pubescent. The foliage is light to mid-green in colour, nearly round, up to 6" across, shallowly to deeply (palmately), 3-7, lobed, and serrate. In damp environments the upper surface of the foliage is green and smooth; in dry environments it is grey and densely felted with stellate hairs on both sides. Intermediate forms are often found. The flowers are white to lilac, extending to pink, mauve or magenta, with petals 12-25mm long, and occur solitarily or in clusters in the leaf axils.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Malva Species: behriana Main Flower Colour: Purple

Paper Flower

Stephen L (Clare) SA — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 04:43:00 GMT

Thomasia is a genus of thirty relatively unknown Australian species belonging to the family Malvaceae. Plants in this family are usually characterised by having a large, coloured and often attractive calyx, the petals of which are tiny and sometimes absent. Thomasia is closely related to another genus of the same family, Lasiopetalum, both exhibiting this calyx/corolla relationship. The family also contains such plants as Brachychiton populneum (kurrajong) and and the genus Hibiscus. Another interesting exotic member from which cocoa and chocolate are derived, is Theobroma cacao (Cocoa Tree). distribution mapThomasia petalocalyx, or Paper Flower, is widely distributed and thus perhaps better known than many Thomasia species. A native of the drier parts of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, it forms a low-spreading shrub with a soft, furry appearance. It usually attains a height of 80 cm with a spread of about 160 cm. Some specimens could almost be classified as ground covers because of their low, sprawling habit. Thomasia petalocalyx begins flowering in late October and continues on until January. During this period small sprays of pinkish-coloured flowers cover the branches. These attractive cup-shaped blooms, with their striking brown anthers, are 10-15mm across. The colourful papery segments of the flower are in fact sepals and are strongly veined. Sepals and petals are both five in number, but the latter are minute and barely noticeable. The sepals are joined close to the base, thus forming a five-lobed calyx. The slender peduncles which support a few drooping flowers are a reddish colour. The fruit is a three-celled capsule with each cell containing several blackish seeds. Fruits mature quickly, splitting open when ripe and releasing the small seeds. Empty capsules persist on the plant for some time and these should not be mistaken for seeds when seed collecting. The leaves are crinkly, oblong-shaped and 2-4 cm long. Leaves, branches and leaf-like stipules are all covered with small, straight, brownish-coloured hairs. This species is suited to most reasonably well-drained soils and requires little attention once plants are established. In the Australian National Botanic Gardens specimens have survived for ten years and more in a sometimes dry soil. Plants grow equally well in full sun or in a semi-shaded area. The latter situation seems to lengthen their flowering period. The species may be propagated from cuttings or seed but germination percentage is usually low. Only minimum pruning is necessary to maintain the plant in a bushy condition and it is ideal for cut flowers. No diseases or any real damage by insects have been recorded on this species in the Canberra Gardens.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Thomasia Species: petalocalyx Main Flower Colour: Mauve

Pink Velvet Bush

Stephen L (Clare) SA — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 02:56:00 GMT

Pink Velvet Bush is a shrub that is up to 1.5 m high. The narrow oblong leaves are 4-9 cm long and 0.5-3 cm wide, and are hairless above and covered with rusty hairs below. Flowers with calyx lobes 5-8 mm long that are covered with white, star-shaped hairs on the outer surface, and petals 1-1.5 mm long and red-brown.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Lasiopetalum Species: behrii Main Flower Colour: Pink

Red Flowered Kurrajong

Stephen L (Clare) SA — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 13:18:00 GMT

The Red-flowered Kurrajong, Brachychiton paradoxus, isn't as spectacular as it close relatives like the Queensland Bottle Tree or the Illawarra Flame Tree. It's usually only a small spindly bush becoming almost invisible when all the leaves drop at the start of the dry season but soon shows up again when it bursts into flower.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Brachychiton Species: Brachychiton paradoxus Main Flower Colour: Red

Sand Hibiscus

John Baas — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 04:47:00 GMT

Shrub, (0.1-)0.5-3 m high. Fl. blue-purple/violet, Mar or May or Jul to Dec. Red sandy soils, granite. Sand dunes, sandplains.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Alyogyne Species: pinoniana Main Flower Colour: Pink

Sand Hibiscus

Stephen L (Clare) SA — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 04:47:00 GMT

Shrub to 3m high with stellate hairs. Solitary flower on a stalk, lilac, darker and purplish towards the base, with deep red stamens. The flower rarely opens wide.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Alyogyne Species: pinoniana Main Flower Colour: Purple

Shrubby Velvet-Bush

Member - John and Val — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 10:13:00 GMT

Wiry shrub to 2.5m tall. Stems and new shoots covered with rusty red hairs. Flowers are crowded in clusters. Calyx lobes are speckled outside with star shaped (stellate) hairs, smooth and pale inside. Grows as an undershrub in forests on sandy or rocky soil.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Lasiopetalum Species: macrophyllum Main Flower Colour: Cream

Sidas

Member - Tony S (WA) — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 04:10:00 GMT

A scraggy bush growing to about 2 meters in height. It grows a variety of soils ranging from red- brown sandy loams, the upper slopes of dunes to rocky out- crops. Ranges from the Gascoyne, Murchison, East Pilbara, Kalgoorlie and has been found out in the Great Sandy Desert.
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Sida Species: ectogama Main Flower Colour: Yellow