Australian chestnut
| Australian chestnut | ||||||||||||
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Australian chestnut ( Castanospermum australe ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Castanospermum australe | ||||||||||||
| A. Cunn. & C. Frazer ex Hook. |
The Australian chestnut ( Castanospermum australe ) is a species of plant in the subfamily of the butterflies (Faboideae) within the legume family (Fabaceae). It is native to Queensland and New South Wales , Australia. This species is used as an ornamental plant in parks in tropical countries , it can also be used as a houseplant .
description
Vegetative characteristics
Castanospermum australe grows as a tall, broadly spreading tree that reaches heights of growth of 35 meters and a maximum trunk diameter of 1.5 meters. The above-ground parts of the plant are mostly hairless.
The alternate leaves are 30 to 60 cm long and pinnate unpaired. The 9 to 17 leaflets are 7 to 20 cm long and 3 to 5 cm wide, more or less elongated-elliptical with a smooth edge. The leaf stalk is 3 to 6 cm long and the stalks of the pinnate leaves are 2 to 5 mm long. The top of the leaf is glossy and the underside of the leaf is lighter and matt. The stipules are small.
Generative characteristics
The racemose inflorescence formed on the old wood is usually 5 to 15 cm long. The bracts are small. The flower stalk is 2 to 3.5 cm long. The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic and five-fold. The five approximately 10 mm long sepals are fused tubular and end in wide calyx teeth. The five orange to red petals form a 3 to 4 cm long butterfly-shaped crown. The largest petal is the flag, it is nailed and bent back. The ten free stamens rise above the petals. The stylus is curved.
The flowering time is in the Australian spring from October to November. The nectar production attracts birds, bats and butterflies.
The hard legume has a length of 10 to 25 cm and a diameter of 4 to 6 cm, is brown when ripe, but when lying on the ground becomes black (hence the common name "Black bean") and rarely contains one, usually three to five seeds separated from each other by a spongy substance. The large seeds are brown, kidney-shaped, 3 to 4.5 cm wide and weigh about 30 grams.
Leaves and seeds are poisonous to pets.
Occurrence
Castanospermum australe grows in subtropical and tropical coastal rain forests and beaches in Australia from around Lismore in New South Wales to the Iron Range , Cape York Peninsula the coast of Queensland and 160 km to the west to the Bunya Mountains . It grows in moist, nutrient-rich, well- drained soils on the terraces of the mountains or along the banks of rivers . It is also found in New Caledonia and Vanuatu .
use
Castanospermum australe is a good shade tree in parks and gardens. Due to its strong root system, it can also be used as erosion protection for river banks. It is also a sturdy houseplant .
The seeds of Castanospermum australe can only be eaten cooked due to their high saponin content . The medical effects were examined. The hard wood is used in many ways.
Taxonomy
The valid first description of Castanospermum australe was in 1830 by Allan Cunningham and Charles Frazer in William Jackson Hooker : Botanical Miscellany , 1, p. 241, plates 51 and 52. The name Castanospermum australe was already mentioned by Allan Cunningham in Robert Mudie : The picture of Australia : ... , Verlag Whittaker, Treacher, and Co., p. 149 published somewhat earlier in September 1829, invalid.
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Individual evidence
- ^ A b G. J. Harden: Castanospermum australe in the New South Wales Flora Online .
- ↑ a b c d Datasheet of the Australian National Botanic Gardens .
- ^ FDA Poisonous Plant Database . ( Memento of the original from April 27, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Entry in Handelsholz von DELTA.
- ↑ Castanospermum australe at Plants For A Future
- ↑ Allan Cunningham & C. Fraser in William Jackson Hooker: Botanical Miscellany , 1, 1830, p. 241, plates 51 and 52 scanned at biodiversitylibrary.org.
