Beaufortia burbidgeae

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Beaufortia burbidgeae
Status DECF P3.svg
Priority Three — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Beaufortia
Species:
B. burbidgeae
Binomial name
Beaufortia burbidgeae

Beaufortia burbidgeae, commonly known as column beaufortia, [2] is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Southwest Australia. It is a shrub with crowded, needle-shaped leaves and mostly red, or red and green flowers on the ends of the branches from spring to early summer.

Contents

Description

Beaufortia burbidgeae is a shrub which sometimes grows to a height of 2 m (7 ft) or is a spreading shrub 2 m (7 ft) across. The leaves are needle-like, 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and crowded on the woody stems. [2]

The flowers are arranged in heads on the ends of the branches and on short side branches. The flowers have 5 sepals, 5 petals and 5 bundles of stamens. The stamen bundles are deep red at their bases and pale green or pink on the ends, 5–18 mm (0.2–0.7 in) and hairy on the inner surface. There are 3 to 5 stamens in each bundle and the free ends of the stamens are a further 2.5–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. Flowering occurs from August to May but mostly in spring and early summer and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules, 3–10 mm (0.1–0.4 in) long and 7–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) wide and sometimes clustered. [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Beaufortia burbidgeae was first formally described in 2016 by Andrew A. Burbidge and the description was published in Nuytsia . [3] The specific epithet ("burbidgeae") honours Nancy Tyson Burbidge, the aunt of the author. [2]

Distribution and habitat

Column beaufortia grows in or near laterite on hills in heath and woodland, occasionally in sand. It occurs between Brookton, Corrigin and Boolanelling Nature Reserve in the Avon Wheatbelt bioregion in south-western Western Australia. [4]

Conservation

Beaufortia burbidgeae is classified as "Priority Three" by the Western Australian Government [[Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions]], [4] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Beaufortia</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Beaufortia is a genus of woody shrubs and small trees in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Southwest Australia. The genus Beaufortia is closely related to Melaleuca, Calothamnus, Regelia and several others, differing mainly in the way the anthers are attached to the stalks of the stamens, and in the way they open to release their pollen. Beaufortia anthers are attached at one end and open by splitting at the other.

<i>Calothamnus chrysanthereus</i> Species of flowering plant

Calothamnus chrysanthereus , commonly known as claw flower is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with needle-shaped leaves crowded on the ends of the branches and bright red flowers in spring.

<i>Beaufortia aestiva</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia aestiva, commonly known as Kalbarri beaufortia, or summer flame, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a dense, usually rounded shrub with small leaves and which bears yellow or red flowers in bottlebrush-like spikes near the ends of the branches in summer. It is similar to Beaufortia squarrosa but that is a smaller shrub which always has red flowers.

<i>Beaufortia anisandra</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia anisandra, commonly known as dark beaufortia, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a densely branched shrub with egg-shaped, upward pointing leaves and which bears heads of dark bluish-purple to red flowers with stamen bundles of different lengths. It is reported to have an unpleasant odour.

<i>Beaufortia bicolor</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia bicolor, commonly known as Badgingarra beaufortia, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Southwest Australia. It is a densely branched shrub with rough, peeling bark, elliptical, upward pointing leaves and heads of red, orange and yellow flowers in November or December. It has been classified as a "poorly known" species.

<i>Beaufortia bracteosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia bracteosa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a shrub growing to a height of about 1 m (3 ft) with red to maroon flowers and woody fruit.

<i>Beaufortia cyrtodonta</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia cyrtodonta, commonly known as Stirling Range bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a compact shrub with crowded leaves which appear greyish due to their covering of fine, soft hairs. It has heads of red flowers in spring and occurs in the Stirling Range district.

<i>Beaufortia elegans</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia elegans, commonly known as elegant beaufortia, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect, diffuse shrub with crowded, curved leaves and heads of flowers that are usually reddish purple, although other colours also occur.

<i>Beaufortia empetrifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia empetrifolia, commonly known as south coast beaufortia, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a highly branched shrub with small, crowded leaves and pinkish to purple flowers in small, bottlebrush-like spikes in the warmer months. It is similar to Beaufortia micrantha except that its leaves are slightly larger.

Beaufortia eriocephala, commonly known as woolly bottlebrush or woolly beaufortia, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It differs from other beaufortias in having woolly red flowers and hairy younger leaves, with mature leaves that are less than 1 mm (0.04 in) wide.

<i>Beaufortia incana</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia incana, commonly known as grey-leaved beaufortia, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to southwest of Western Australia. It is a shrub with crowded leaves that appear whitish due to their covering of fine, soft hairs on both surfaces. It has almost spherical heads of red flowers in spring.

<i>Beaufortia macrostemon</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia macrostemon, commonly known as Darling Range beaufortia, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a low shrub with multiple stems, hairy young leaves and three stamens in each stamen bundle.

<i>Beaufortia micrantha</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia micrantha, commonly known as small-leaved beaufortia or little bottlebrush, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a compact shrub with tiny leaves pressed against the stems and profuse heads of purple or pinkish-coloured flowers.

<i>Beaufortia orbifolia</i> Species of flowering plant


Beaufortia orbifolia, commonly known as Ravensthorpe bottlebrush, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with round, dished leaves crowded on the younger stems, and bright red flower spikes. It is found in laterite hills near Ravensthorpe. It is distinguished from other beaufortias by having green stamen bundles with the free ends red.

<i>Beaufortia purpurea</i> Species of flowering plant


Beaufortia purpurea, commonly known as purple beaufortia, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with linear to egg-shaped leaves and purplish-red flowers in dense heads on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering.

<i>Beaufortia sprengelioides</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia sprengelioides is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a rigid, spreading shrub with crowded, round leaves and small, roughly spherical heads of pale pink flowers on the ends of its branches. It was one of the first Australian plant species collected by Europeans and has had several name changes since then.

<i>Beaufortia squarrosa</i> Species of plant

Beaufortia squarrosa, commonly known as sand bottlebrush, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. The Noongar peoples know the plant as buno. It is sometimes a dense shrub, others straggling with 4 neat rows of small, oval leaves along the stems, and heads of red, orange or yellow flowers in the warmer months.

<i>Beaufortia puberula</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia puberula, commonly known as hairy-leaved beaufortia, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a shrub growing to a height of about 2 m (7 ft) with hairy young leaves and heads of hairy, pink or red flowers during most of the year.

Beaufortia kwongkanicola, commonly known as Lesueur beaufortia, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a shrub with crowded leaves and large, deep purple heads of flowers in late winter and spring and is found in the northern kwongkan.

Beaufortia raggedensis, commonly known as Mount Ragged beaufortia, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a compact shrub with densely clustered leaves and large heads of deep red flowers in spring and only occurs near Mount Arid in the Cape Arid National Park.

References

  1. "Beaufortia burbidgeae". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Burbidge, Andrew A. (2016). "A taxonomic revision of Beaufortia (Myrtaceae: Melaleuceae)" (PDF). Nuytsia. 27: 177–179.
  3. "Beaufortia burbidgeae". APNI. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Beaufortia burbidgeae". FloraBase. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  5. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 28 October 2019.