Dictionary Definition
waratah
Noun
1 straggling shrub with narrow leaves and
conspicuous red flowers in dense globular racemes [syn: Telopea
speciosissima]
2 tall shrub of eastern Australia having
oblanceolate to obovate leaves and red flowers in compact racemes
[syn: Telopea
Oreades]
User Contributed Dictionary
- Any of several species of plants in the genus Telopea, native to southeastern Australia.
References
- Troy, Jakelin (1994). “The Sydney Language”, Macquarie Aboriginal Words. Sydney: Macquarie Library, 61–62.
Extensive Definition
Waratah (Telopea) is a genus of five species of
large shrubs or small
trees in the Proteaceae,
native to southeastern Australia, from
New
South Wales, Victoria
and Tasmania. They
have spirally arranged leaves 10-20 cm long and 2-3 cm
broad with entire or serrated margins, and large, dense flowerheads 6-15 cm diameter with
numerous small red flowers and a basal ring of red bracts. The name waratah comes
from the Eora
Aboriginal people, the original inhabitants of the Sydney area.
Taxonomy
Within the Proteaceae, their closest relatives appear to be the genera Alloxylon (Tree Waratahs), Oreocallis and Embothrium, a group of generally terminal red-flowering plants which skirt the southern edges of the Pacific Rim. Together they make up the subtribe Embothriinae within the family.Species
The five species all occupy distinct ranges with minimal or no overlap; listed from north to south:- Telopea aspera Crisp & P.H.Weston - Gibraltar Range Waratah or New England Waratah. Northeast New South Wales.
- Telopea speciosissima (Sm.) R.Br. - New South Wales Waratah. East New South Wales.
- Telopea mongaensis Cheel - Braidwood Waratah or Monga Waratah. Southeast New South Wales.
- Telopea oreades F.Muell. - Gippsland Waratah or Victorian Waratah. Southern Victoria.
- Telopea truncata (Labill.) R.Br. - Tasmanian Waratah. Tasmania.
The New South Wales Waratah is native to areas in
the Sydney
geological basin, Central and South Coast districts, and in the
Blue Mountains; it grows to about 4 m tall. It typically grows in
sandy loam soils along
ridges and plateaus. This waratah is endemic to New South Wales,
but has now spread due to its popularity, to Victoria and even
Tasmania.
Cultivation
Waratahs are popular, though somewhat tricky to grow, ornamental plants in gardens in Australia; several hybrids and cultivars have been developed, including some with creamy-white and pink flowers as well as the natural red. White forms of Telopea speciossisima are named Telopea "Wirrimbirra White" and T. "Shady Lady White", while T. "Shady Lady Pink" and T. "Shady Lady Red" are actually hybrids between Telopea speciosissima and Telopea oreades.Popular Culture
The botanical journal Telopea is named after the genus, as is the western Sydney suburb of Telopea.Telopea speciosissima the floral emblem of the
state of New South Wales and several organisations in the state,
including the New South Wales Waratahs rugby
team and Grace Bros.
(now Myer).
References
- Flora of Australia: Volume 16: Eleagnaceae, Proteaceae 1
External links
waratah in French: telopea