Bedfordia arborescens
Encyclopedia
Bedfordia arborescens known as the Blanket Leaf is a shrub or small tree of south eastern Australia
. It occurs in or around temperate rainforest
s in areas of high altitude. The natural range of distribution on the mainland is from the Otway Ranges and Wilsons Promontory
(39° S) in the far south east of the Australian continent to Monga National Park
(35° S) near Braidwood, New South Wales
. There is also an isolated occurrence in Tasmania
on Cape Barren Island. Other common names are Blanket Bush, Flannel Leaf and Tree Blanketleaf.
Small branches covered in a whitish felt. Older branches covered in stringy and flaky brown bark. Leaves alternate, entire, wavy edged. White underneath, dull green above. 15 to 24 cm long and 2 to 4 cm wide. The midrib is sunken on the top side, but raised on the lower side.
Yellow flowers without ray florets form on panicle
s in November to January. The fruit is a ribbed achene
, whitish with bristles on the top. 8 mm long in the shape of a cigar. Fruiting occurs from December to January.
Whilst in no way related, the first impression of a healthy stand of Blanket Tree is strongly reminiscent of the rhododendrons of the Himalayas and China. This is due to similar growth habit, leaf arrangement and shape and is consistent with a plant which grows in the middle vegetation layers, and which has the role of shading the ground.
in Victoria
in February 1905.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It occurs in or around temperate rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s in areas of high altitude. The natural range of distribution on the mainland is from the Otway Ranges and Wilsons Promontory
Wilsons Promontory
Wilsons Promontory is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland and is located at . South Point at is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promontory and hence of mainland Australia...
(39° S) in the far south east of the Australian continent to Monga National Park
Monga National Park
Monga National Park is located 230 km south west of Sydney, Australia. The closest town nearby is Braidwood.Monga features outstanding high altitude eucalyptus forest and cool temperate rainforest....
(35° S) near Braidwood, New South Wales
Braidwood, New South Wales
Braidwood is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, in Palerang Shire. It is located on the busy Kings Highway linking Canberra to Batemans Bay on the coast. It is about 200 kilometres south west of Sydney and about 60 kilometres inland from the coast...
. There is also an isolated occurrence in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
on Cape Barren Island. Other common names are Blanket Bush, Flannel Leaf and Tree Blanketleaf.
Description
Usually 3 to 6 metres in height, sometimes reaching 12 metres tall and a 45 cm trunk diameter. The long leaves and their woolly white underside makes it easy to identify. Blanket Leaf is often crooked and asymmetrical. The trunk is not straight, irregular in cross section but not buttressed. The main branches form close to the ground.Small branches covered in a whitish felt. Older branches covered in stringy and flaky brown bark. Leaves alternate, entire, wavy edged. White underneath, dull green above. 15 to 24 cm long and 2 to 4 cm wide. The midrib is sunken on the top side, but raised on the lower side.
Yellow flowers without ray florets form on panicle
Panicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
s in November to January. The fruit is a ribbed achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
, whitish with bristles on the top. 8 mm long in the shape of a cigar. Fruiting occurs from December to January.
Whilst in no way related, the first impression of a healthy stand of Blanket Tree is strongly reminiscent of the rhododendrons of the Himalayas and China. This is due to similar growth habit, leaf arrangement and shape and is consistent with a plant which grows in the middle vegetation layers, and which has the role of shading the ground.
Taxonomy
The species was first formally described by Swiss botanist Bénédict Hochreutiner in the 5th volume of Candollea in 1934. His description was based on plant material collected from the Black SpurBlack Spur
The Black Spur is a road between the towns of Healesville and Marysville in Victoria, Australia.-Statistics:* Length : 30* Corner Ratio: 80%* Corner Speeds: 60-120 km/h* Legal Speed Limit: 80 km/h* Traffic : 2-5* Bumpiness: Smooth...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in February 1905.