''Trichodesma zeylanicum'', commonly known as Northern bluebell, camel bush or cattle bush, is a herb or shrub native to Australia.

Description

It grows as an erect herb or shrub up to two metres high, with a well-developed

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...

. Flowers are blue, or rarely white.

Taxonomy

This species was first published as ''Borago zeylanica'' by

Nicolaas Laurens Burman Nicolaas Laurens Burman (27 December 1734 – 11 September 1793) was a Dutch botanist. He was the son of Johannes Burman (1707–1780). He succeeded his father to the chair of botany at the Athenaeum Illustre of Amsterdam., and at the Hortus ...

in 1768. In 1810, Robert Brown transferred it into ''

Trichodesma ''Trichodesma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. There are about 40 to 45 species distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Australia.Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vic ...

transferred it into ''

Pollichia ''Pollichia campestris'', commonly known as waxberry or barley sugar bush, is a herbaceous plant in the family Caryophyllaceae and the only species in the monotypic genus ''Pollichia''. It is found in southern and eastern Africa and in the Arabi ...

''. In 1891,

Otto Kuntze Carl Ernst Otto Kuntze (23 June 1843 – 27 January 1907) was a German botanist. Biography Otto Kuntze was born in Leipzig. An apothecary in his early career, he published an essay entitled ''Pocket Fauna of Leipzig''. Between 1863 and 1866 he ...

transferred it into ''Boraginella'', and in 1898

William Philip Hiern William Philip Hiern (19 January 1839 – 28 November 1925) was a British mathematician and botanist. Life Hiern attended St. John's College, Cambridge, from 1857 to 1861 and attained a "first class degree" in mathematics. Later, in 18 ...

transferred it into ''Borraginoides''. Despite these many later transfers, it is Brown's placement that is currently accepted.

Varieties

Three varieties are recognised: * ''T. zeylanicum'' var. ''grandiflorum'' * ''T. zeylanicum'' var. ''latisepalum'' * ''T. zeylanicum'' var. ''zeylanicum''

Distribution and habitat

It is fairly widespread in Australia, occurring in

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to ...

, the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Au ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

and

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Gallery

Trichodesma zeylanicum (7597083376).jpg Trichodesma zeylanicum habit.jpg Trichodesma zeylanicum habitus.jpg

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7840758 Asterids of Australia zeylanicum Flora of New South Wales Flora of the Northern Territory Flora of Queensland Flora of South Australia Eudicots of Western Australia Taxa named by Nicolaas Laurens Burman