Anigozanthos
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 Tall Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos flavidus)
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Anigozanthos is a small genus of Australian plants in the Bloodwort family Haemodoraceae. The 11 species and several subspecies are commonly known as kangaroo paw and catspaw depending on the shape of their flowers. A further species, previously identified as Anigozanthos fuliginosus and commonly known as the Black Kangaroo Paw, has been transferred to its own monotypic genus and is now known as Macropidia fuliginosa.
These perennials are endemic to dry sandy, siliceous areas of southwest Australia, but they occur as well in a variety of other environments and soil types. They are grown commercially in Australia, the United States, Japan. and Israel.
The plant grows from short, underground, horizontal rhizomes. The length and the character of these may vary between the species: some are fleshy, others are fragile. The sap in the root system allows the plants to survive extreme dry spells. In summer, a number of species die back to the rhizome, growing back in autumn.
The plants have a basal rosette of long green to greyish-green leaves. The leaves of some species are hairy. From the heart of this roset merge long leafless stalks, which can reach 2 m, ending in a raceme of flowers. The size and the height of these stalks varies between the species. They can be clothed in coloured hairs. The tuberous flower buds are also covered with coloured hairs, giving it a velvety aspect. These long furry hairs also determine the colour of the flower. The flowers can have different colours, ranging from almost black to yellow, orange and red. Some species are even dichromatic (as Anigozanthos manglesii). The tubular form of the flower bud resembles a kangaroo paw, hence its name. The flower tip spreads fanlike into six petals. Full-grown plants can have up to ten flowers at the end of each stalk.
In recent years a number of numerous hybrids and cultivars have been developed. Kangaroo paws are much in demand as house plants and as cut flowers.
[edit] Species
- Anigozanthos bicolor
- Anigozanthos bicolor ssp. bicolor : Two-coloured Kangaroo Paw
- Anigozanthos bicolor ssp. decrescens
- Anigozanthos bicolor ssp. exstans
- Anigozanthos bicolor ssp. minor
- Anigozanthos flavidus : Tall Kangaroo Paw, Yellow Kangaroo Paw
- Anigozanthos gabrielae : Dwarf Kangaroo Paw
- Anigozanthos humilis : Cat's Paw
- Anigozanthos humilis ssp. chrysanthus : Mogumber Cat's Paw
- Anigozanthos humilis ssp. grandis : Tall Cat's Paw
- Anigozanthos kalbarriensis : Kalbarri Cat's Paw
- Anigozanthos manglesii : Red-and-green Kangaroo Paw (floral emblem of Western Australia)
- Anigozanthos manglesii ssp. manglesii
- Anigozanthos manglesii ssp. quadrans
- Anigozanthos onycis : Branched Cat's Paw
- Anigozanthos preissii : Albany Cat's Paw
- Anigozanthos pulcherrimus : Golden Kangaroo Paw
- Anigozanthos rufus : Red Kangaroo Paw
- Anigozanthos viridis : Green Kangaroo Paw
- Anigozanthos viridis subsp. terraspectans Dwarf Green Kangaroo Paw
- Anigozanthos viridis subsp. metallica : Metallic Green Kangaroo Paw
[edit] Commercial hybrids
- Anigozanthos ‘Bush Ochre’
- Anigozanthos ‘Bush Ranger’
- Anigozanthos ‘Dwarf Delight’
- Anigozanthos ‘Harmony’
- Anigozanthos ‘Pink Joey’
- Anigozanthos ‘Royal Claw’
- Anigozanthos ‘Red Cross’
[edit] Reference
- Hopper, S (1993): "Kangaroo Paws and Catspaws - A Natural History and Field Guide", Department of Conservation and Land Management, Western Australia.
