WorldFloraDB - Cochlospermum gillivraei

Characteristics

Shrub or small tree to 10 m high. Leaves 5–7-lobed, glabrous; lamina 5–15 cm long, 7–18 cm wide, cordate at base; lobes lanceolate to narrowly obovate, acute; margins serrate, often obscurely so; petiole 6–15 cm long; stipules 3.5–4 cm long. Inflorescence up to 12 cm long; bracts scale-like. Flowers 7–10 cm diam. Sepals ovate, minutely strigose to glabrous, the outer 8–11 mm long, 4–7 mm wide, the inner 10–13 mm long, 8–12 mm wide. Petals 3.5–4 cm long, 2–2.5 cm wide. Staminal filaments red; anthers 3–4 mm long. Capsule obovoid, 6–9.5 cm long.

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A tree 3-10 m high. It loses its leaves during the year. It can be without leaves for several months during the dry season. The leaves are deeply lobed. There are 5-7 oval lobes. The leaves are dark green and smooth. They are 5-7 cm long by 8-10 cm wide. The flowers are bright yellow. They appear before the new leaves. They have 5 open petals. Flowers are about 10 cm across. They occur in groups at the ends of small branches. The fruit is a capsule which is oval and 8 cm long. It splits open when ripe to release black seeds.

Life form	perennial
Growth form	tree
Growth support	free-standing
Foliage retention	deciduous
Sexuality	hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter)	10.0
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Environment

A tropical plant. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate locations. It grows in stony places in drier regions. It needs well-drained soil and a sunny position. In north Queensland it grows from sea level to 600 m altitude. It is damaged by frost or drought.

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Grows in sand, on sandstone and granite, in eucalypt woodland, sometimes on creek banks.

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Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

The roots of young trees are edible and reasonably nutritious, and the flowers can also be eaten raw (Beasley 2009: 42).

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The flower petals are eaten raw. The tap roots of young plants are roasted and eaten.

Uses	material medicinal
Edible	flowers roots
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Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. Seeds take up to 3 months to germinate. The seeds are separated from the woolly fibres and soaked for 24 hours before sowing.

Mode	seedlings
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