MELBOURNE STREET TREES 10

Brachychiton discolor is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia of the family Sterculiaceae. It grows in drier rainforest areas. Scattered from Paterson, New South Wales (32° S) to Mackay, Queensland (21° S). There's also an isolated community of these trees at Cape York Peninsula.  Common names include Lacebark Tree, Lace Kurrajong, Pink Kurrajong, Scrub Bottle Tree, White Kurrajong, Hat Tree and Sycamore.

It is an attractive tree up to 30 metres tall featuring pink flowers without petals. The trunk is straight, grey and cylindrical, up to 75 cm in diameter. The tree flowers from November to February. The flowers are pink, almost without stalks, 3 to 4 cm in diameter. There are separate male and female flowers. The fruit is a hairy boat shaped follicle maturing from December to July, 7 to 20 cm long, containing up to 30 seeds, 9 mm long. Germination from fresh seed occurs without difficulty.

This is an unusual tree in Melbourne, however, it grows well and flowers prolifically. Perhaps it should be planted more as it is highly attractive and the flowers and seed pods are very beautiful.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

Clusters of large showy flowers are typical of this tree

Honeyeaters love the nectar of these flowers

The flowers are large and feel as though they are made of soft cloth

They fall down to the ground

...And will not wither for some days