Harpullia

Harpullia
Harpullia pendula
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Harpullia
Roxb.
Species

See text

Harpullia is a genus of 37 species of small to medium-sized trees in the soapberry family Sapindaceae. It was first defined by Scottish botanist William Roxburgh in 1824.[1] They have a wide distribution ranging from India eastwards into the Pacific Ocean. They are usually found in or on the margins of rainforests.

The eight species of Australian Harpullia are known as tulipwoods and were prized for their dark coloured timber. Five are endemic.[2] The one most commonly known to horticulture is Harpullia pendula which is widely planted as a street tree along the east coast of Australia. H. frutescens is a small shrub with horticultural potential.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Harpullia Roxb.". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. http://www.anbg.gov.au/cgi-bin/apni?taxon_id=54751. 
  2. ^ a b Eliot RW, Jones DL, Blake T (1990). Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants Suitable for Cultivation: Vol. 5. Port Melbourne: Lothian Press. pp. 254–55. ISBN 0-85091-285-7.