Lagerstroemia archeriana

Family

Lythraceae

Botanical Name

Lagerstroemia archeriana F.M.Bailey

Bailey, F.M. (1883) A Synopsis of the Queensland Flora: 196. Type: Found on the Palmer River by Mr. J.C. Baird.

Synonyms

Lagerstroemia archeriana var. glabrescens F.M.Bailey, Queensland Agricultural Journal 15(8): 898(1905), Type: Walsh River, T. Barclay-Millar, March, 1891. Coen, Mrs. R.W. Garraway, April, 1905.. Lagerstroemia archeriana F.M.Bailey subsp. archeriana, Flora of Australia 18: 112(), Type: ?. Lagerstroemia archeriana F.M.Bailey var. archeriana, Queensland Agricultural Journal 15(8): 898(1905), Type: ?.

Common name

Queensland Crepe Myrtle; Crepe Myrtle; Native Crepe Myrtle

Stem

A small tree seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh. Living bark layer quite thin. Inner blaze and cambial layer turning pink or purplish on exposure. Deciduous; leafless for a period in September or October.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 7-17 x 2-5 cm. Petioles short. Stipules visible on young shoots, small, with a short swollen base and abruptly tapering into a small, prickle-like tip. Lateral veins curved throughout their length, sometimes forming loops inside the blade margin. Bark on the larger twigs tending to be scaly and/or slightly stringy.

Flowers

Calyx lobes about 2-4 mm long, valvate, longitudinally ribbed, apiculate in the bud, hairs branched (dendritic). Petals about 16-10 mm long. Staminodes pink-red, much larger than the stamens.

Fruit

Calyx lobes persistent. Seeds winged at one end, seed plus wing about 9 x 3-4 mm.

Seedlings

Cotyledons broadly obovate, about 5-7 mm broad, base cuneate. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves elliptic, shortly petiolate, apex acuminate, glabrous on the upper surface, stem wings narrow.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in WA, CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 500 m. Grows in monsoon forest and gallery forest. Also occurs in New Guinea and other islands in Malesia.

Natural History

This widespread tree which usually occurs in drier forests is already in cultivation. This species has horticultural merit producing large numbers of mauve, pink or purple flowers which are large and showy.