Abutilon listeri
Encyclopedia
Abutilon listeri , commonly known as the Lantern Flower, is a tropical shrub in the Malvaceae
or mallow family
. It is endemic to Christmas Island
, an Australia
n territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean
. Its specific epithet honours British zoologist and plant collector
Joseph Jackson Lister
, who visited the island on HMS
Egeria in 1887.
are circular to broadly ovate, either entire or weakly crenate, and about 90–160 mm long. The yellow flower
s occur in loose, terminal panicle
s.
margin behind the sea cliffs on the lower terraces
, and is often found in secondary growth and along paths and tracks. It responds well to environmental disturbance.
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. Well known members of this family include okra, jute and cacao...
or mallow family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
. It is endemic to Christmas Island
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
, an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. Its specific epithet honours British zoologist and plant collector
Plant collecting
Plant collecting involves procuring live or dried plant specimens, for the purposes of research, cultivation or as a hobby.-Collection of live specimens:...
Joseph Jackson Lister
Joseph Jackson Lister (naturalist)
Joseph Jackson Lister FRS was a British zoologist and plant collector from Leytonstone who collected biological specimens during travels in Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Pacific region....
, who visited the island on HMS
Her Majesty's Ship
Her or His Majesty's Ship is the ship prefix used for ships of the navy in some monarchies, either formally or informally.-HMS:* In the British Royal Navy, it refers to the king or queen of the United Kingdom as appropriate at the time...
Egeria in 1887.
Description
Abutilon listeri is a common shrub on Christmas Island, growing to 1–3 m in height. The leavesLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are circular to broadly ovate, either entire or weakly crenate, and about 90–160 mm long. The yellow flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s occur in loose, terminal panicle
Panicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
s.
Distribution and habitat
Found only on Christmas Island, the Lantern Flower grows in natural clearings and the rainforestRainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
margin behind the sea cliffs on the lower terraces
Marine terrace
A marine terrace, coastal terrace, raised beach or perched coastline is a relatively flat, horizontal or gently inclined surface of marine origin, mostly an old abrasion platform which has been lifted out of the sphere of wave activity . Thus it lies above or under the current sea level, depending...
, and is often found in secondary growth and along paths and tracks. It responds well to environmental disturbance.