| Telopea speciosissima | |
|---|---|
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| Telopea speciosissima flowerhead with florets opening from the edges towards the centre,Blue Mountains, Australia | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Telopea |
| Species: | T. speciosissima |
| Binomial name | |
| Telopea speciosissima | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Telopea speciosissima, commonly known as theNew South Wales waratah or simplywaratah, is a large shrub in the plant familyProteaceae. It isendemic toNew South Wales inAustralia. Nosubspecies are recognised; the closely relatedTelopea aspera was classified as a separate species in 1995.T. speciosissima is a shrub to 3 or 4 m (9.8 or 13.1 ft) high and 2 m (6.6 ft) wide, with dark green leaves. Its several stems arise from a pronounced woody base known as alignotuber. The species is well renowned for its striking large red springtimeinflorescences (flowerheads), each including hundreds of individualflowers. These are visited by theeastern pygmy possum (Cercartetus nanus), birds such ashoneyeaters (Meliphagidae), and various insects.
Thefloral emblem for its home state ofNew South Wales,Telopea speciosissima has featured prominently in art, architecture, and advertising, particularly sinceAustralian federation. Commercially grown in several countries as a cut flower, it is also cultivated in home gardens, requiring good drainage yet adequate moisture, but is vulnerable to variousfungal diseases and pests. A number ofcultivars with various shades of red, pink and even white flowers are available.Horticulturists have also developedhybrids withT. oreades andT. mongaensis which are more tolerant of cold, shade, and heavier soils.
Telopea speciosissima, the New South Wales waratah, is a large, erect shrub up to 3 or 4 metres (9.8 or 13.1 ft) in height with one or more stems.[3][4] Arising vertically or near vertically from a large woody base, orlignotuber, the stems are little branched. In late spring, there is a spurt of new growth after flowering, with new shoots often arising from old flowerheads.[5] The dark green leaves arealternate and usually coarsely toothed, ranging from 13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 in) in length.[3] Enveloped in leafybracts, the flowerheads develop over the winter and begin to swell in early spring,[3][6] before opening to reveal the strikinginflorescences. The exact timing varies across New South Wales, but flowering can begin as early as August in the northern parts of its range, and finish in November in the southern, more elevated areas.[5] Spot flowering may also occur around March in autumn.[7] Containing up to 250 individual flowers, the domed flowerheads are crimson in colour and measure 7–10 cm (3–4 in) in diameter. They are cupped in awhorl of leafy bracts which are 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3 in) long and also red.[3][5] Variations are not uncommon; some flowerheads may be more globular or cone-shaped than dome-shaped, and the bracts may be whitish or dark red. The tips of thestigmas of some inflorescences may be whitish, contrasting with the red colour of the rest of the flowerhead.[8]
An individual flowerhead reaches full size about two weeks after first emerging from the bracts, and lasts another two weeks before the flowers fade and fall. In the first phase, the individual small flowers, known asflorets, remain unopened—and the flowerhead retains a compact shape—before they mature and split open, revealing thestigma,style, andanther. The anther issessile, lacking a filament, and lies next to the stigma at the end of the style. The outermost florets open first, withanthesis progressing towards the centre of the flowerhead, which becomes darker and more open in appearance, and begins attracting birds and insects. Theovary lies at the base of the style and atop a stalk known as thegynophore, and it is from here that the seed pods then develop. Meanwhile, a crescent-shapednectary lies at the base of the gynophore.[7][9]
The seed pods grow to 8–15 cm (3–6 in) long.[2] As the pods mature, they range from green, to yellow and finally turn russet red-brown. The pods become leathery before splitting open during early winter.[7] The pods contain winged seeds inside.[3] In the wild, only two or three seed pods develop per flowerhead, but there may be anywhere from 5 to 50 in cultivated plants.[7]
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Telopea speciosissima, the New South Wales Waratah, was first described by botanistJames Edward Smith in his 1793 bookA Specimen of the Botany of New Holland, from "very fine dried specimens sent byMr. White".[10] He gave the species its original binomial name ofEmbothrium speciosissimum.[10] Thespecific epithet is derived from thesuperlative of theLatin wordspecious'beautiful, handsome', hence'very-' or'most beautiful'.[3]Embothrium had been awastebasket taxon at the time, andRobert Brown suggested the genusTelopea for it in 1809, which was published in 1810.[1]Richard Salisbury had published the nameHylogyne speciosa in 1809, but Brown's name wasnomenclaturally conserved.[11]
Telopea speciosissima is one of five species from southeastern Australia which make up the genusTelopea. Its closest relative is the very similar Gibraltar Range waratah (T. aspera) from northern New South Wales, which was only recognised as a separate species in 1995, having previously been considered an unusual northern population ofT. speciosissima.[12]
The genus is classified in the subtribeEmbothriinae of the Proteaceae, along with thetree waratahs (Alloxylon) from eastern Australia and New Caledonia, andOreocallis and theChilean firetree (Embothrium coccineum) from South America.[13][14] Almost all these species have red terminal flowers, and hence the subtribe's origin and floral appearance must predate the splitting ofGondwana into Australia, Antarctica, and South America over 60 million years ago.[15]
Although no subspecies are recognised withinTelopea speciosissima itself, geographical variations within its range have been noted. Forms toward the northern limits of its range have more prominently lobed leaves.[12] A population fromWaterfall has darker red, wider inflorescences,[16] and a population at West Head inKu-ring-gai Chase National Park has paler inflorescences.[16] Leaf shape varies widely.[16]
Thecommon namewaratah was first applied to this species before being generalised to other members of the genusTelopea and, to a lesser extent,Alloxylon.Waratah is derived from theEoraAboriginal people, the original inhabitants of theSydney area.[11] TheDharawal people of the Illawarra region knew it asmooloone,[17] andmewah is another aboriginal name. A former common name from around 1900 is "native tulip", possibly derived fromTelopea.[11]
The species is found inNew South Wales (Australia) from theWatagan Mountains southward toUlladulla, with a relatively widespread distribution in theCentral Coast region.[4] It usually occurs as anunderstory shrub in open forest on sandy soils in areas with moderately high rainfall,[3] receiving on average around 1,200 mm (47 in) a year.[18] Dappled shade fromeucalyptus (Eucalyptus) trees reduces sunlight by around 30%.[5] Much of its range occurs in theSydney Basin, an area with one of the highest human populations and most intense development in Australia. The impact ofhabitat fragmentation and decreased fire interval (time betweenbushfires) on the gene pool ofTelopea speciosissima, which relies onoutcrossing, is unclear. Although largely protected within National Parks and conservation reserves in the Sydney area, most populations are small, numbering under 200 plants, and are often located near urban developments.[16]
Telopea speciosissima is apyrogenic-flowering species, relying on post-fire flowering followed by production and dispersal of non-dormant seeds to take advantage of favourable growing conditions in the altered environment following a fire. Of the woodyresprouter species of southeastern Australia, it is one of the slowest to produce seedlings after bushfires, taking at least two years.[19] The species resprouts from alignotuber, a swollen woody base largely under the soil, that stores energy and nutrients as a resource for rapid growth of new shoots after a bushfire. Waratahs dominate the understorey around two years after a fire, but are later overtaken by the slower-growingbanksias (Banksia) andwattles (Acacia). Fire also serves to strip away diseases and pests.[20] Flowering may be prolific at this time.[21]
The prominent position and striking colour ofTelopea speciosissima and many of its relatives within the subtribeEmbothriinae both in Australia and South America strongly suggest it is adapted to pollination by birds, and has been for over 60 million years.[15] Honeyeaters, in particular theNew Holland honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)[22] and thecrescent honeyeater (P. pyrrhopterus),[23] are frequent visitors. However, a field study conducted at Barren Grounds showed New Holland honeyeaters to carry relatively little pollen. Theeastern pygmy possum (Cercartetus nanus) also forages among the flowerheads.[22]
The New South Wales waratah had been considered to beprotandrous (that is, with male parts concluding sexual activity before female parts become receptive on the same plant),[9] but analysis of the timing of pollen viability and stigma receptivity has shown significant overlaps.[24] The species has been shown to be self-incompatible, requiringcross-pollination with plants of othergenotypes to reproduce successfully.[25]
The New South Wales waratah was a popular garden plant at the beginning of the 20th century. It had been introduced early (1789) into the United Kingdom, and was reported flowering for the first time in 1809 at Springwell, the villa of one E. J. A. Woodford Esq. TheRoyal Horticultural Society awarded it anAward of Merit in 1914, and a First Class Certificate in 1922.[11]
Initially, waratahs were picked from the bushland for market, but by the early 20th century, a fewplantsmen grew concerned at the development of urban areas at the expense of bush, particularly areas noted for wildflowers. Percy Parry of Floralands inKariong developed the idea of "Preservation by Cultivation" and investigated the commercial cultivation of waratahs and other native plants. Meanwhile, the New South Wales Government was looking to curb flower and plant collecting from the wild, and considered prohibition in 1944, but after witnessing the ability of Parry to manage and develop cultivation, introduced compulsory licences for wildflower collecting the following year. With his wife Olive, Percy promoted and developed knowledge over fifty years and received theOrder of Australia medal in 1981.[26] Following on from the Parrys were Howard Gay and Arch Dennis, who pioneered growing waratahs at Monbulk in theDandenong Ranges in the 1940s, Sid Cadwell and Frank Stone, who did likewise inDural and the Blue Mountains respectively.[27] The growing movement for cultivating and preserving native plants led to the establishment of theSociety for Growing Australian Plants in 1957,[27] and the waratah was featured heavily in the first edition of its journalAustralian Plants.[28]
Today, New South Wales waratahs are grown commercially in Australia north of Sydney and in theDandenong Ranges nearMelbourne. They are also grown commercially inNew Zealand and inIsrael,[3] and also inHawaii, where they have been grown since 1961.[29] One major challenge in commercial production is that in any one location the flowering season is generally short (five weeks total, with only small numbers in the earliest and latest weeks). The season for cut flowers may be extended, however, by growing plants at different latitudes. Thevase life of a cut waratah is 10 to 14 days, and cut flower waratahs can be revived somewhat by water.[8]
Although they grow naturally on deep sandy soils, the species has proved adaptable to other deep, well-drained soils, especially where natural slopes assist drainage. Despite their natural occurrence in woodland, waratahs flower best in full sun, although they tolerate the dappled shade of eucalyptus.[11] Heavy pruning after flowering reinvigorates the plants and promotes more profuse flowering in the next season.[3] Waratah blooms are highly susceptible to damage from wind, and benefit from some protection fromprevailing winds.[30] Waratah blooms attract birds to the garden.[11] The species is readilypropagated from freshseed, but cultivars must be reproduced from cuttings to remain true-to-type.[31]
Several species of fungi infect the roots of waratahs, causing significant plant morbidity or death. Typical symptoms include yellow leaves, wilting, blackening and dieback or part or all of the plant, or lack ofproteoid roots.[32] The most common pathogen is the soil-bornewater moldPhytophthora cinnamomi,[33] which appears to be more problematic in cultivated plants than in wild populations.[34] Mass plantings at theRoyal Botanic Gardens in Sydney and atMount Annan planted before the2000 Summer Olympics were devastated by the disease.[34]Rhizoctonia solani can cause damping off or root rot,[33] and is an uncommon pathogen.Cylindrocarpon scoparium andC. destructans (nowNectria radicicola) are also uncommon causes of infection[35] and result in decay of the crown of the plant.[33] Although significant problems, fungi are less likely to be the cause of plant morbidity than poor drainage or soil conditions.[32]
The larvae of theMacadamia leafminer (Acrocercops chionosema), amoth, burrow along and disfigure the waratah's leaves, and are mainly a problem in lowering the value of cut flower crops. More problematic is the larger caterpillar of another moth, theMacadamia twig girdler (Xylorycta luteotactella) which can burrow into and disfigure the developing flowerhead.[33]
A number of natural variants ofTelopea speciosissima have been selected for cultivation as follows:
In addition, a number of interspecificTelopea hybrids have also been produced. These have been bred or used as more frost- or shade-tolerant plants in cooler climates such as Canberra, Melbourne or elsewhere.
The New South Wales waratah featured prominently in the folklore of theDarug andTharawal people in the Sydney basin andGandangara people to the southwest.[47] Adreamtime legend from the Eora tells of a femalewonga pigeon searching for her husband who has been lost while out hunting. A hawk attacks and wounds her, and she hides in a waratah bush. Her husband calls and as she struggles in the bush her blood turns the white waratah blooms red.[48] A tale from theBurragorang Valley tells of a beautiful maiden named Krubi, who wore a red cloak of rock wallaby adorned with the feathers of thegang-gang cockatoo. She fell in love with a young warrior who did not return from battle. Grief-stricken, she died, and up from the ground grew the first waratah.[49] The Dharawal people regarded it as a totem, using it in ceremonies and timing ceremonies to its flowering.[17]
The striking form of the New South Wales waratah became a popularmotif inAustralian art in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and was incorporated inArt Nouveau designs of the time. Matchboxes, paperweights and especially tins have been decorated with the flower.Arnott's often used the waratah as an alternative to their parrot logo on biscuit and cake tins from the early 1900s.[50] Shelleys soft drinks, established in 1893 inBroken Hill, also displayed it on their label.[50] The French artistLucien Henry, who had settled in Sydney in 1879, was a strong proponent of a definitive Australian art style incorporating local flora, particularly the waratah.[51][52] His most famous surviving work is atriptychstained glass window of Oceania flanked by numerous waratahs overlooking the Centennial Hall inSydney Town Hall.[53] In 1925, artistMargaret Preston produced a hand-colouredwoodcut depicting waratahs.[54] The species also appeared on an Australian 3shilling stamp in 1959 designed by botanical illustrator Margaret Jones and a 30c stamp in 1968.[3]
TheSydney suburb ofTelopea takes its name from the Waratah, as does theNewcastle suburb ofWaratah[55] and theSuper Rugby team, the Sydney-basedNew South Wales Waratahs.
AfterAustralian federation in 1901, the upsurge in nationalism led to the search for an official national floral emblem. The New South Wales waratah was considered alongside the wattleAcacia pycnantha, and debate raged between proponents of the two flowers. The economist and botanistRichard Baker proposed that the waratah's endemism to the Australian continent made it a better choice than the wattle, as well as the prominence of its flowers.[56] He was nicknamed the "Commander in Chief of the Waratah Armed Forces".[57] The South AustralianEvening News also supported the bid, but to no avail.[56]
Decades later, in 1962,Telopea speciosissima was proclaimed as the official floral emblem of New South Wales by theGovernor of New South Wales,Eric Woodward, after being used informally for many years.[58] The species has also been adopted by others, including theNew South Wales Waratahs rugby union team since the 1880s,[50] and the former department storeGrace Bros in a stylised form for their logo in the 1980s.[50] Contemporary clothing designersJenny Kee andLinda Jackson produced waratah-inspired fabric designs in the 1970s and 1980s during a resurgence of Australian motifs.[59][60]
From 1956, the annual Waratah Festival was held in Sydney, run by the Sydney Committee. It took place from late October to early November, coinciding with the blooming of the waratahs. It was an important cultural event which included a parade, a popular art competition, beauty contests, exhibitions and performances.[61] A highlight was the Lord Mayor's reception at the Sydney Town Hall for which the floral displays were made of hundreds of waratahs culled by Park Rangers from the national parks.
In 2009, thePremier of New South Wales,Nathan Rees, commissioned a state logo based on the floral emblem. The resultant logo design has been criticised as resembling a lotus rather than the New South Wales Waratah.[62]
Media related toTelopea speciosissima at Wikimedia Commons