Sturt's Desert Rose
Encyclopedia
Sturt's Desert Rose is a woody shrub
, closely related to cultivated cotton
, found in most mainland states of Australia
and the Northern Territory
. It has a life cycle
of about 10 years, grows from 1–2 m tall and 1–2 m wide.
The colour of the petals can range from pale pink to dark purple
to maroon
. The five petals are arranged in a whorl and have a dark red centre. There is a small cotton spore in the centre of the flower. They can be seen for most of the year but peak in late winter. They are up to 12 cm in diameter. The leaves are different shades of green, round and strongly scented when crushed.
There are two variations of the Sturt's Desert Rose. Variation nandewarense is found only in north-eastern New South Wales
(around Narrabri) and the Expedition Range
in central Queensland
. The more common variation, sturtianum, is found everywhere else.
The Sturt's Desert Rose is found in sand
y and gravel
ly soils, along dry creek
beds, watercourse
s, gorges
and rocky slopes. This means that it must be able to store and conserve water. Adaptations for this plant include:
The Sturt's Desert Rose was discovered by Charles Sturt
in 1844-45. In 1947, James Hamlyn Willis gave the shrub its current botanical name. It is not considered to be at risk in the wild.
The Sturt's Desert Rose is the floral emblem of the Northern Territory
and appears in stylised form on the official flag
. It is also known as the Darling River Rose, Cotton Rosebush and Australian Cotton.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
, closely related to cultivated cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, found in most mainland states of Australia
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...
and the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. It has a life cycle
Biological life cycle
A life cycle is a period involving all different generations of a species succeeding each other through means of reproduction, whether through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction...
of about 10 years, grows from 1–2 m tall and 1–2 m wide.
The colour of the petals can range from pale pink to dark purple
Purple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
to maroon
Maroon (color)
Maroon is a dark red color.-Etymology:Maroon is derived from French marron .The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.-Maroon :...
. The five petals are arranged in a whorl and have a dark red centre. There is a small cotton spore in the centre of the flower. They can be seen for most of the year but peak in late winter. They are up to 12 cm in diameter. The leaves are different shades of green, round and strongly scented when crushed.
There are two variations of the Sturt's Desert Rose. Variation nandewarense is found only in north-eastern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(around Narrabri) and the Expedition Range
Expedition Range
Expedition Range is a mountain range within the Central Highlands sandstone region of Queensland, Australia. Robinson Creek cuts a 100 metres deep gorge through sandstone clifflines...
in central Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. The more common variation, sturtianum, is found everywhere else.
The Sturt's Desert Rose is found in sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
ly soils, along dry creek
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
beds, watercourse
Watercourse
A watercourse is any flowing body of water. These include rivers, streams, anabranches, and so forth.-See also:* physical geography* Environmental flow* Waterway* Hydrology* Wadi-External links:...
s, gorges
Gorges
Gorges, the plural of the French word for "throat", usually refers to a canyon.Gorges is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Gorges, in the Loire-Atlantique département* Gorges, in the Manche département...
and rocky slopes. This means that it must be able to store and conserve water. Adaptations for this plant include:
- A strong internal structure. This prevents wilting and reduces transpiration (sweat).
- There are fewer stomata (the pores that release gas in the leaves) or they are protected. The stomata on the Sturt's Desert Rose are found on the underside of the leaf. This means reduced water loss.
- They have internal water storage. This reduces the need to rely on rain to stay watered. These sources could be in the trunk, root system or leaves.
- Deep root systems. They are able to reach the water deep under the ground.
- The seeds of the plant do not function before they are germinated. This means they have more chance of surviving.
- Sturt's Desert Rose contains the substance gossypolGossypolGossypol is a natural phenol derived from the cotton plant . Gossypol is a phenolic aldehyde that permeates cells and acts as an inhibitor for several dehydrogenase enzymes. It is a yellow pigment....
. Gossypol is toxic to all non-ruminant (cud-chewing) animals. This means the shrub has less chance of being eaten.
The Sturt's Desert Rose was discovered by Charles Sturt
Charles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
in 1844-45. In 1947, James Hamlyn Willis gave the shrub its current botanical name. It is not considered to be at risk in the wild.
The Sturt's Desert Rose is the floral emblem of the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and appears in stylised form on the official flag
Flag of the Northern Territory
The current state flag of the Northern Territory was officially adopted by the Northern Territory, Australia in 1978. The Northern Territory has been in existence since 1911, but could not hoist its first flag until self-government in 1978.-History:...
. It is also known as the Darling River Rose, Cotton Rosebush and Australian Cotton.