Common name: Wild Orange, Native Pomegranate, Mondoleir, Orangewood, Grey Capparis
Capparis canescens Banks ex DC. APNI* Description: Shrub or tree, erect, to 5 m high, hairy. Spines straight, spreading, 6–10 mm long, reduced or absent on flowering branches.
Leaves broadly elliptic or obovate, obtuse, acute or mucronate, 4.5–10 cm long, 2.5–6 cm wide, mostly glabrous; base acute to wedge-shaped; midrib flat; 4–7 pairs of veins; petiole 1–4 cm long.
Inflorescence solitary or in collateral pairs in axils of uppermost leaves; pedicels 3–10 cm long. Buds prominently quadrangular. Sepals 16–23 mm long, outer pair hairy, inner pair glabrous. Petals c. 3 cm long, 2 cm wide, glabrous or woolly at base, white or pink. Stamens 85–160. Gynophore 6.5–8 cm long, glabrous; ovary elliptic, 4–6 mm long; placentas 4 or 5.
Fruit globose, 2.5–7.5 cm wide, surface various. Seeds several; axis through attachment 7–9 mm long.
Flowering: Mainly Summer.
Distribution and occurrence: In open Eucalypt forest.
NSW subdivisions: NWS
Other Australian states: Qld
Threatened species: NSW BCA: Endangered
Text by H.J. Hewson. Added by Kerry Gibbons, 4 May 2023. Taxon concept: H.J. Hewson, Flora of Australia Online [accessed 4 May 2023].
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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