Beaufortia orbifolia

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Ravensthorpe bottlebrush
Beaufortia orbifolia (leaves, flowers).JPG
Beaufortia orbifolia leaves and flowers
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Beaufortia
Species:
B. orbifolia
Binomial name
Beaufortia orbifolia
Synonyms [1]

Melaleuca orbifolia (Muell.) Craven & R.D.Edwards

On the north side of the Ravensthorpe Range Beaufortia orbifolia (habit).JPG
On the north side of the Ravensthorpe Range
Leaves and fruits Beaufortia orbifolia (fruits).JPG
Leaves and fruits


Beaufortia orbifolia, commonly known as Ravensthorpe bottlebrush, [2] 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.

Contents

Description

Beaufortia orbifolia is an erect, sometimes open, spreading shrub which grows to a height of about 3 m (10 ft). The leaves are arranged in alternate pairs (decussate), so that, especially on the younger branches, they make four rows along the stems. The leaves are flat or slightly dished, broad egg-shaped to round, 4.5–6 mm (0.18–0.24 in) long and have 5 or 7 veins. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

The flowers are red and green and are arranged in bottlebrush-like spikes about 40 mm (2 in) in diameter and 60 mm (2 in) long on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. The flowers have 5 sepals, 5 petals and 5 bundles of stamens. The stamen bundles contain 3 to 7 stamens, are green in their lower half and red in the upper and joined for about half of their length. Flowering occurs from August to January and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules in roughly spherical or cylindrical clusters. [2] [4] [5] [6]

Taxonomy and naming

Beaufortia orbifolia was first formally described in 1862 by Victorian government botanist, Ferdinand von Mueller in Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae from a specimen collected on the slopes of East Mount Barren by George Maxwell. [7] The specific epithet (orbifolia) is derived from the Latin orbis meaning "a circle" [8] :205 and folium meaning "a leaf". [8] :466

Distribution and habitat

Beaufortia orbifolia mainly occurs near Ravensthorpe in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions. [2] It usually grows in soils derived from laterite or granite on stony plains. [9]

Conservation

Beaufortia orbifolia is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. [2]

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>Beaufortia sparsa</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia sparsa, commonly known as swamp bottlebrush, is a 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 in the warmer months.

<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 decussata</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia decussata, commonly known as gravel bottlebrush, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has long stems branching only near the upper ends, and scarlet to orange-red flowers in a bottlebrush shape beneath the branches.

<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 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 schaueri</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia schaueri, commonly known as pink bottlebrush or pink beaufortia, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a small, rounded shrub with small, crowded, linear leaves and profuse, spherical heads of pink flowers conspicuously displayed on the ends of the branches in spring.

<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 burbidgeae, commonly known as column beaufortia, 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.

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. 1 2 "Beaufortia orbifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Beaufortia orbifolia". FloraBase. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  3. "Beaufortia orbifolia". Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  4. 1 2 Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2009). Wildflowers of southern Western Australia (3rd ed.). Kenthurst, N.S.W.: Rosenberg Publishing. p. 114. ISBN   9781877058844.
  5. 1 2 Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1867). Flora Australiensis. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. pp. 166–167. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  6. 1 2 Burbidge, Andrew A. (2016). "A taxonomic revision of Beaufortia (Myrtaceae: Melaleuceae)". Nuytsia. 27: 190–191.
  7. "Beaufortia orbifolia". APNI. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  8. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  9. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 350. ISBN   0646402439.