Encyclopedia
of Stanford Trees, Shrubs, and VinesEncyclopedia
of Stanford Trees, Shrubs, and Vines
The 
bottle tree both looks like a bottle, contains potable
sap, and is a characteristic sight of the dry inland savannah of Queensland,
where the roots, shoots, and wood provided food for aborigines. In Queensland
the trees have pronounced entasis, expanding to as much as 6 feet in diameter
well above eye level. A young specimen near the entrance to Memorial Church
had
large but very delicate leaves with several lobes barely wider than the
leaf vein, cut right back to the point of attachment of the long slender petiole.
By 2000, the leaves had lost this charm. The small white flowers which, like
Eucalyptus, have no petals, will appear one of these summers. The development
and flowering of this specimen, which was raised by arborist William Parker
in 1972, will be watched with great interest. There is one other on Stanford
Avenue opposite Peter Coutts Road.
Other campus Brachychitons: Brachychiton acerifolius | Brachychiton discolor | Brachychiton populneus | Brachychiton rupestris
Illustrations (links open new windows): leaf |
Additions/Revisions: The Brachychiton rupestris shown in the circle 3 of the Inner Quad Tree map is likely a misidentification. Though it has yet to bloom, the leaf appears to be that of B. populneus ssp. triloba.Name derivation, genus | species: from Greek, brachys, short and chiton, a tunic, a reference to the coating on the seed | rupestris – refers to growing among rocks
Related material: | Botanical
name index | Common name index | Family
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