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Hymenanthera dentata

Common name:	Tree Violet	Family:	Violaceae
Author:	R.Br. ex DC.	Botanical references:	11, 154, 200
Synonyms:	Hymenanthera banksii (F.Muell.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Australia - New South Wales, Victoria.
Habitat:	River banks and on basalt and silurian soils to high elevations[154].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	dentata = with teeth;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Violales. Violet family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 6m. It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in April. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Dye; Hedge; Wood.

A light-fast purple dye is obtained from the berries[154].
The plant makes a good screen or hedge[157]. It is unlikely to be of any use for this purpose in Britain due to its tenderness[K].
Wood - hard, bright yellow. Used for turnery[154].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in a sunny position in most soils[182]. Prefers a moderately fertile well-drained but moisture-retentive soil in a sunny sheltered position[200].
Plants are frost-tender and so cannot be grown outdoors in Britain[1]. They tolerate temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[157] though this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer, colder and wetter winters. An alpine form of this species does exist and this should be hardier than the type[157]. The very closely related H. angustifolia. DC., which is considered by some botanists to be no more than a variety of this species, is quite hardy at Kew and is said to tolerate temperatures down to about -10°c[200]. Even if the two plants are separate species, then H. angustifolia is likely to have the same uses as this plant[K].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in late winter or early spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 4 - 5cm with a heel, July/August in a headily shaded frame. Pot up in spring. Good percentage[78].
Cuttings of mature side-shoots, 4 - 5cm with a heel, October/November in a cold frame. Lift in the following April. High percentage[78].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Violaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[154] Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.
A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.

[157] Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0
A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Hymenanthera+dentata
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.