Beaufortia purpurea

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Purple beaufortia
Beaufortia purpurea (leaves, flowers).JPG
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. purpurea
Binomial name
Beaufortia purpurea
Synonyms [1]
  • Manglesia purpureaLindl. nom. inval., nom. nud.
  • Melaleuca purpurea(Lindl.) Craven & R.D.Edwards
  • Schizopleura purpurea(Lindl.) Walp.
Habit in the Morangup Nature Reserve near Toodyay Beaufortia purpurea (habit).JPG
Habit in the Morangup Nature Reserve near Toodyay
Fruit Beaufortia purpurea (fruits).JPG
Fruit


Beaufortia purpurea, commonly known as purple beaufortia, [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 linear to egg-shaped leaves and purplish-red flowers in dense heads on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering.

Contents

Description

Beaufortia purpurea is an erect, sometimes open, spreading shrub with long, straight, thin branches and which grows to a height of about 1.5 m (5 ft). The leaves are arranged in alternate pairs (decussate) on the younger branches, so that they make four rows along the stems. The leaves are lance-shaped to egg-shaped while the oldest ones are linear. The leaves are 4–8.5 mm (0.16–0.33 in) long and have 3 or 5 veins. [2] [3] [4]

The flowers are purple or purplish red and are arranged in bottlebrush-like spikes on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. The flowering part of the stem is densely hairy and the flowers have 5 sepals, 5 petals and 5 bundles of stamens. The stamen bundles, which give the flowers their colour contain 3 to 7 (usually 5) stamens which are joined for about half their length. Flowering occurs from October to December or in January to February and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules in clusters about 12 mm (0.47 in) long . [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Beaufortia purpurea was first formally described in 1839 by English botanist, John Lindley in A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony. [5] [6] The specific epithet (purpurea) is a Latin word meaning "purple". [7]

Distribution and habitat

Beaufortia purpurea mainly occurs in the outer suburbs of Perth in the Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions. [2] It usually grows in soils derived from laterite or granite on rocky slopes. [8]

Conservation

Beaufortia orbifolia is classified as "Priority Three" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions [2] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Melaleuca radula</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca radula, commonly known as graceful honey-myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open, spreading shrub with narrow leaves, profuse pink or purple flowers in late winter and smooth, almost spherical fruits.

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

Eremaea is a genus of woody shrubs and small trees in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Little study of the genus as a whole had been undertaken until Roger Hnatiuk researched Eremaea and published a paper in 1993, A revision of the genus Eremaea (Myrtaceae) in Nuytsia. The first species to be described was Eremaea pauciflora in 1837 and by 1964, the number of species known had increased to 12. Hnatiuk recognised 16 species, 5 subspecies and a number of varieties.

<i>Eremaea pauciflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea pauciflora is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with small leaves and orange flowers at the ends of its branches. It has the most widespread distribution of the eremaeas with considerable variation in its characteristics so that three varieties are recognised. It was the first Eremaea to be described formally but was not originally given the name Eremaea.

<i>Conothamnus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Conothamnus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. They are woody shrubs similar to melaleucas but differ in that their leaves are usually arranged in opposite pairs and the maximum number of seeds per fruit is three.

<i>Eremaea fimbriata</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea fimbriata is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with small leaves and single purple flowers on the ends of the branches. The fruits are woody, urn-shaped with a small opening at the top. Unlike other eremaeas which remain dormant during winter, Eremaea fimbriata begins the new year's growth in July or August.

<i>Melaleuca parviceps</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca parviceps, commonly known as rough honey-myrtle is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with varying shades of pink or purple flowers, the stamens tipped with yellow anthers. In describing it, John Lindley noted: "every twig ... is terminated by hemispherical heads of brilliant pink". It is similar to Melaleuca manglesii and Melaleuca seriata.

<i>Eremaea beaufortioides</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea beaufortioides is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with oval to egg-shaped leaves, and orange flowers in spring. Flowers appear in groups of one to six on the ends of long branches formed in the previous year.

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

Eremaea purpurea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with erect branches, small leaves and purple flowers in pairs on the ends of the branches. The fruits are woody, cup-shaped capsules which release their seeds when dry.

<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 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 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.

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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Beaufortia sprengelioides". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Beaufortia purpurea". FloraBase. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1867). Flora Australiensis. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. p. 168. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  4. 1 2 Burbidge, Andrew A. (2016). "A taxonomic revision of Beaufortia (Myrtaceae: Melaleuceae)". Nuytsia. 27: 193–194.
  5. "Beaufortia purpurea". APNI. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  6. Lindley, John (1839). A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony. London: James Ridgway. p. x. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  7. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 643.
  8. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 350. ISBN   0646402439.
  9. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 28 October 2019.