Hymenosporum flavum (Hook.) F.Muell.

Native Frangipani

Shrub or medium-sized, narrow tree. Leaves alternate in clusters at the ends of the branches and more or less whorled, ovate to oblanceolate, entire, about 9-15 cm long, 4 cm wide, and generally held horizontally, tip long-pointed. Flowers about 4 cm long, with a persisting petal tube, tips recurved, salver-shaped; creamy-green at opening, becoming canary yellow with maroon insect tracks over several days; extremely fragrant; spring. Fruit a flattened, dry, leathery capsule 2-3.5 cm long, more or less hairy; seeds numerous, flat, red-brown, to 7 mm with a 4 mm-wide membranous wing.

Now commonly grown as an attractive street and landscape tree in most parts of temperate and tropical Australia. A variegated cultivar, 'Variegatum Woolnum', of unknown provenance can be seen at Adelaide Bot. Gds.

New Guinea, Qld, NSW.

VIC: Geelong (Bot. Gds).

Source: Cayzer, L. (2002). Pittosporaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

Hero image
Distribution map
kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Asteranae
order      Apiales
family       Pittosporaceae
genus        Hymenosporum F.Muell.