Darlingia ferruginea, commonly known as the brown silky oak, is a rainforest tree of the family Proteaceae from Northern Queensland.
Taxonomy and naming
Queensland botanist John Frederick Bailey described Darlingia ferruginea in 1899.[1] The species name is the Latin adjective ferruginea "rusty", and refers to the rust-coloured fur on the stems and leaves.[2]
Common names include brown silky oak, rose silky oak,[1] and rusty silky oak.[4] Its everyday name in the local Dyirbal language was gurray, though a more general word gurruŋun "oak tree" (also applied to Cardwellia sublimis and Helicia australasica) was used in the taboo [Dyalŋuy] vocabulary.[5]
Description
Darlingia ferruginea grows as a tall tree in its native rainforest habitat, forming part of the canopy and reaching 30 m (100 ft) in height, though likely to only grow a third this size in cultivation. The trunk is not buttressed.[2] The initial leaves are entire but juvenile leaves are lobed, reaching 70 cm (28 in) long. The leaf veins and undersurface, and stems are covered with fine rust-coloured hairs.[2] Adult leaves are entire and measure 20-46 long by 5–21 cm wide.[4] Flowering is in winter and early spring, the inflorescences are 14–22 cm long.[6]
Distribution and habitat
Darlingia ferruginea is found in montane rainforests from altitude 650 to 1300 m on the Atherton Tableland.[4]
Uses and cultivation
Darlingia ferruginea has potential as a specimen tree in parks, and has showy flowers and foliage. It is readily propagated from seed or cuttings.[2]
^Dixon, Robert Malcolm Ward (1990). "The Origin of "Mother-in-Law Vocabulary" in Two Australian Languages". Anthropological Linguistics. 32 (1/2): 1–56. JSTOR30028138.
