Zygogynum howeanum, commonly known as hotbark or hot bark, is a species of plant in the family Winteraceae. It is endemic to Australia’s subtropical Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. The specific epithet refers to the locality.

Zygogynum howeanum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Canellales
Family: Winteraceae
Genus: Zygogynum
Species:
Z. howeanum
Binomial name
Zygogynum howeanum
Synonyms[1]
  • Bubbia howeana (F.Muell.) Tiegh.
  • Bubbia muelleri Tiegh.
  • Drimys howeana F.Muell.

Description

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Hotbark is a tree that grows to 13 m in height. It has a dark, smooth trunk. Its large, bluntly pointed leaves are dark green on the upper surface and paler beneath. The white flowers are 20 mm in diameter, flowering from June to December, and are insect-pollinated. The fruit is a round black berry, 8 mm across, containing 5–15 small seeds.[2][3]

Distribution and habitat

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Occurring mainly in moist and sheltered parts of the forests of Lord Howe's southern mountains – Mounts Gower and Lidgbird – the species forms a distinctive component of the vegetation from sea level to the peaks. Small numbers also occur elsewhere on the island. Within its restricted range it is common and locally abundant.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Zygogynum howeanum (F.Muell.) Vink". Plants of the World Online. Kew Science. Accessed 24 April 2022. [1]
  2. ^ a b Anon (2007). Appendices, Lord Howe Island Biodiversity Management Plan (PDF). Sydney: Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW). p. 228. ISBN 978-1-74122-598-3.
  3. ^ Green, P.S. "Zygogynum howeanum (F.Muell.) Vink". PlantNET:NSW Flora Online. National Herbarium of NSW: Sydney. Retrieved 2013-03-20.