''Xanthostemon paradoxus'', commonly known as bridal tree or northern penda, is a shrub or tree species in the family

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...

that is endemic to Australia. The shrub or tree typically grows to a height of . It blooms between March and September producing yellow coloured flowers. The stem is usually a cream or pale colour with brittle stripes usually visible in the outer blaze. The bark is grey and rough and flaky. The leaf blades are approximately in length and wide with curving lateral veins curving. The leaves are alternate and discolorous and glabrous throughout. The blades are narrowly to broadly elliptic in shape with an obtuse to attenuate base obtuse and an obtuse apex obtuse. Leaves are attached to petioles that are long. The inflorescence is cymose and all parts are glabrous to puberulous with a length of . The pedicels are long. The calyx lobes triangular with ciliate margins. The petals are yellow with blades that are ovate to orbicular. Stamens are also yellow. The fruits have a globular to depressed globular shape with a diameter of about with a calyx that is persistent at the base. The seeds are flat and round with a diameter of . The tree has a lifespan from 11 to 20 years, and will produce seeds after 6 years of age. Following bushfires it is an

epicormic An epicormic shoot is a shoot growing from an epicormic bud, which lies underneath the bark of a trunk, stem, or branch of a plant. Epicormic buds lie dormant beneath the bark, their growth suppressed by hormones from active shoots higher up ...

resprouter. It is found in along sandstone ridges an outcrops in the east

Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia * Kimberley (Western Australia) ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley * Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania * Kimberley, Tasmania a small town * County of Kimberley, a ...

region of Western Australia between the Prince Regent National Park, Halls Creek and Kununurra extending into the Northern Territory from the border to central

Arnhem Land Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia, with the term still in use. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territory capital, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Compan ...

and as far south as Timber Creek and as afar north as the Tiwi Islands. Usually found among the open forest or on rocky hillsides but sometimes found in or on the margins of monsoon forest. The species was first formally described by the

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

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 Vict ...

in 1857 as part of the work ''Nova genera et species aliquot rariores in Plagis Australiae Intratropicis nuperrime detecta.'' as published in ''

Hooker's Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany ''Hooker's Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany'' was a scientific journal In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. Cont ...

''. Other synonyms include ''

Metrosideros ''Metrosideros'' is a genus of approximately 60 trees, shrubs, and vines mostly found in the Pacific region in the family Myrtaceae. Most of the tree forms are small, but some are exceptionally large, the New Zealand species in particular. The n ...

paradoxus'' and '' Nania paradoxus''. In a woodland setting associated species include '' Erythrophleum chlorostachys'', '' Eucalyptus foelscheana'', '' Eucalyptus setosa'', ''

Eucalyptus confertiflora ''Corymbia confertiflora'', commonly known as broad-leaved carbeen or rough leaf cabbage gum, is a species of tree that is endemic to northern Australia. It has rough, tessellated bark near the base of the trunk, smooth white to pale grey bark ...

'' and ''

Eucalyptus latifolia ''Corymbia latifolia'', commonly known as round-leaved bloodwood, round leaf bloodwood, wubam and other names in Indigenous Australian, indigenous languages, is a species of tree that is Endemism, endemic to northern Australia. It has thin, ro ...

'' in the overstorey and ''

Grevillea decurrens ''Grevillea decurrens'', also known as the clothes-peg tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to northern Australia. It is a shrub or tree with divided leaves, the lobes elliptic to egg-shaped with the nar ...

'', ''Gardenia megasperma'' and ''

Calytrix exstipulata ''Calytrix exstipulata'', commonly known as Kimberley heather, is a species of plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae that is endemic to Western Australia. The shrub or tree typically grows to a height of . It usually blooms between March and Sep ...

'' in the sparsely vegetated understorey. The plant is commonly cultivated from seedlings in and around

Darwin Darwin may refer to: Common meanings * Charles Darwin (1809–1882), English naturalist and writer, best known as the originator of the theory of biological evolution by natural selection * Darwin, Northern Territory, a territorial capital city i ...

area for as a shade tree in gardens and produces large bunches of yellow flowers which attract birds. It has a compact form and is quite drought tolerant.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15389985

paradoxus ''Paradoxus'' is a genus of moths of the family Yponomeutidae. Species *'' Paradoxus caucasica'' - Friese, 1960 *'' Paradoxus osyridellus'' - Milliére, 1869 Yponomeutidae {{Yponomeutidae-stub ...

Rosids of Western Australia Plants described in 1857 Flora of the Northern Territory Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller