Backhousia
Encyclopedia
Backhousia is a small genus of five species of flowering plant
s in the family Myrtaceae
, native to the rainforest
s of eastern Australia
. They are aromatic shrub
s or tree
s growing to 5-25 m tall, with evergreen
leaves
3-12 cm long and 1-6 cm broad, arranged opposite on the shoots.
Species include:
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the family Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
, native to the rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s of eastern 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...
. They are aromatic shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s or tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s growing to 5-25 m tall, with evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
leaves
Leaf
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....
3-12 cm long and 1-6 cm broad, arranged opposite on the shoots.
Species include:
- Backhousia angustifolia (Curry Myrtle)
- Backhousia bandcroftii (Johnstone River Hardwood)
- Backhousia citriodora (Lemon scented Myrtle, Sweet Verbena Tree, Sweet Verbena Myrtle, Lemon scented Verbena, Lemon scented Backhousia)
- Backhousia hughesii (Stony Backhousia, Stonewood, Lime Wood, Grey Teak)
- Backhousia myrtifolia (Carrol, Carrol Ironwood, Neverbreak, Grey Myrtle, Iron Myrtle, Cinnamon Myrtle)
- Backhousia sciadophoraBackhousia sciadophoraBackhousia sciadophora is a common Australian tree, growing from near Dungog in New South Wales to near Kilcoy in south east Queensland. Common names include Shatterwood, Ironwood, Boomerang Tree and Curracabark...
(Shatterwood, Ironwood, Boomerang Tree)
- Formerly included here, B. anisata was transferred to Anetholea anisata, and later to Syzygium anisatum.