Citation: Andrews, Bot. Rep. l:t. 18 (1798).

Derivation: After Jose Francisco Correa de Serra, Portuguese botanist, 1751-1823.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Correas, native fuchsias.

Description:
Prostrate or decumbent to tall shrubs with woody stems; bark lightly but extensively furrowed; young stems stellate-pubescent; leaves dorsiventral, opposite and decussate, variously petiolate, nearly glabrous to tomentose with stellate vestiture; numerous oil glands but not apparent externally; volatile oil odour is species specific.

1-3 (rarely to 5) pedunculate flowers terminally developed on lateral or axillary branchlets; terminal leaf pair may act as bracts; bracteoles linear, persistent or caducous, inserted at pedicel base; calyx persistent, cup-shaped to semi-orbicular, with entire or lobed margins, remaining open or closed after anthesis; corolla with free petals in C. alba, tubular but scarcely fused in C. aemula, Sympetalous and tubular for all others, erect in 2 species, deflexed in all others; petals 4, large, 1-4 cm long, white, green, orange, red or bicoloured, more or less persistent; disk below the ovary, 8-lobed, with oil glands and nectaries; stamen filaments inserted at the disk base; the 4 opposite the petals often shorter with broad fusiform bases; anthers included to variously exserted, oblong to lanceolate, yellow-brown or rarely purple; dorsifixed and introrse; ovary superior, glabrous to tomentose; carpels 4, each with 2 ovules, placentation axile; style same length as stamens, minutely 4-lobed.

Mature fruit with 4 Basally fixed segments, apically and axially dehiscing explosively; seeds 1 or 2, 2-4 mm, endocarp cartilaginous; testa hard, brown, black or mottled; papery elaiosome present.

Distribution:  Endemic to Australia with 11 species; a major concentration of taxa in S.Aust.

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: A source of variation and potential confusion within Correa is hybridisation. All taxa will hybridise and form fertile progeny when sympatric or where grown together, e.g. in cultivation-horticulture.

Key to Species:

1. Calyx with deep triangular or lanceolate acute or acuminate lobes
2. Peduncles 5-20 mm long; anthers enclosed or slightly exserted	C. aemula 1.
2. Peduncles 2-4 mm long; anthers exserted	C. calycina 3.
1. Calyx more or less truncate or toothed or with linear lobes
3. Calyx with prominent lobes between the calyx teeth; flowers erect; anthers prominently exserted	C. decumbens 4.
3. Calyx without intermediate lobes
4. Corolla white or pale-pink, eventually splitting to the base	C. alba 2.
4. Corolla greenish and/or reddish, rarely splitting to the base
5. Corolla uniformally pale-red, orange (or white); small anthers 0.5-1 mm	C. pulchella 6.
5. Corolla greenish or the tube and lobes differing in colour
6. Calyx campanulate or semi-orbicular
7. Calyx semi-orbicular, 4-dentate	C. reflexa 7.
7. Calyx campanulate, entire	C. schlechtendalii 8.
6. Calyx cup-shaped
8. Branches subglabrous; fresh leaves with fruity or pungent lemon smell; anthers well exserted	C. glabra 5.
8. Branches tomentose; fresh leaves with peppery smell; anthers barely exserted	C. reflexa 7.

Author: Prepared by R. Anderson