Lysiphyllum hookeri (F.Muell.) Pedley

Horticultural & Botanical History

No additional data.

History at Camden Park

Listed in the 1850 and 1857 catalogues [T.138/1850].  This is one of the plants that William Macarthur successfully raised from seed collected by Ludwig Leichhardt on his first expedition.  What is believed to be a survivor from the original plants is still growing in the Camden Park gardens.  This plant may be the same as specimen no.5, ‘Bauhinia’, part of the produce of Leichhardt’s expedition presented to the Sydney Botanic Gardens on November 10th 1847 [RBGS AB].  Liechhardt’s seed collection from his first expedition was divided between the Sydney Botanic Garden and William Macarthur, who had superior propagating facilities at this time.

Notes

It is used as a street tree in Northern Australia and has been used as a potted plant in well lit rooms.  [Wrigley].

See also Lysiphyllum carronii (F.Muell.) Pedley.  The third native Australian bauhinia is Lysiphyllum cunninghamii (Benth.) de Wit, synonyms Phanera cunninghamii Benth., Bauhinia cunninghamii (Benth.) Benth., a frost-tender evergreen or deciduous tree with small, pea-shaped orange-red flowers in summer from Tropical Australia.  This is not found as far south as Moreton Bay.