Lagunaria

Lagunaria patersonia
Leaves and fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Malvaceae
Genus:	Lagunaria (DC.) Rchb.
Species:	L. patersonia
Binomial name
Lagunaria patersonia (Andrews) G.Don.

Lagunaria is a monotypic genus in the family Malvaceae. It is an Australian plant endemic to Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and parts of coastal Queensland. It has been introduced to many parts of the world. The genus was named in honour of Andrés Laguna, a Spanish botanist and a physician to Pope Julius III.

It now consists of the single species Lagunaria patersonia, commonly known as the Pyramid Tree or Norfolk Island Hibiscus. It is howevever not a true Hibiscus, but does belong to the same plant family, Malvaceae. Its seed capsules are filled with irritating hairs giving rise to another common name, "Cow Itch Tree". The "cow" part however appears to be a misnomer.

In many parts of Australia, Lagunaria is considered a pest, and is commonly referred to as the "Itchy Bomb tree" due to the tiny, almost invisible, hairs inside the seed pods which, if the seeds pods are split open, can lodge in the skin like tiny barbs of broken glass, causing a great deal of pain.

References

• Malvaceae Info: The Lagunaria Page
• Photographs from Malvaceae Info

Gallery

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  Fruit of the Pyramid Tree

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  Flower of the Pyramid Tree