Beaufortia sprengelioides

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Beaufortia sprengelioides
Beaufortia sprengelioides (leaves and flowers).jpg
Foliage and flowers in Kings Park, Perth
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Beaufortia
Species:
B. sprengelioides
Binomial name
Beaufortia sprengelioides
Synonyms [1]
  • Beaufortia dampieri A.Cunn.
  • Melaleuca sprengelioidesDC.
  • Schizopleura dampieri(A.Cunn.) Walp.
Fruit Beaufortia sprengelioides (fruit).jpg
Fruit

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.

Contents

Description

Beaufortia sprengelioides is a rigid, spreading shrub which grows to a height of about 2 metres (7 ft). The leaves are crowded and mostly 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, broadly egg-shaped to round, 2–3 millimetres (0.08–0.1 in) long and have 3 veins, not including the marginal veins. [2] [3]

The flowers are pale pink to white and arranged in spherical heads 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, which give the flowers their colour, contain 9 to 15 stamens and are joined for more than half their length. Flowering occurs from July to November and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Beaufortia sprengelioides was collected before 1670 by the English explorer, William Dampier. [4] [5] It was first formally described in 1828 by the Swiss botanist, Augustin de Candolle in Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis and given the name Melaleuca sprengelioides. [6] [7] Schauer then included de Candolle's plant in Regelia ciliata , apparently on the basis of de Candolle's drawings. [8] [9] In 1999, Lyndley Craven reinterpreted Schauer's work and gave the plant the name Beaufortia sprengelioides. [9] The specific epithet ("sprengelioides") is a reference to the genus Sprengelia in the family Ericaceae. The suffix ("-oides") is from the Ancient Greek εἶδος (eîdos), meaning “form" or "likeness". [10]

Distribution and habitat

Beaufortia sprengelioides mainly occurs between Eneabba and Shark Bay, including nearby off-shore islands, in the Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Geraldton Sandplains and Yalgoo bioregions regions of south-western Western Australia. [2] It usually grows in sand, near limestone on dunes and plains. [11]

Conservation

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

Related Research Articles

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

Acmena was formerly the name of a genus of shrubs and trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. The genus was first formally described in 1828 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in his Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis.

<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</i> Genus of flowering plants

Calothamnus is a genus of shrubs in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. The common names one-sided bottlebrush or claw flower are given to some species due to their having the flowers clustered on one side of the stem or because of the claw-like appearance of their flowers. Calothamnus species are generally medium to tall woody shrubs with crowded leaves. In most species the leaves are crowded and linear in shape, and the flowers are usually arranged in dense clusters. The petals are small and fall off the flower soon after it opens but the stamens are long, numerous and usually bright red.

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

Regelia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. The genus is composed of five species of small leaved, evergreen shrubs which have heads of flowers on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. Another species, previously known as Regelia punicea and which is endemic to Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, has been transferred to Melaleuca punicea.

<i>Melaleuca paludicola</i> Species of plant

Melaleuca paludicola, commonly known as river bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with flexible, often drooping branches, pinkish new growth and spikes of cream, pale yellow, or sometimes pink flowers in summer.

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

Melaleuca punicea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the Northern Territory in Australia. Some of the characteristics of this species make it difficult to classify at the genus level. After it was originally described in 1984 as Melaleuca punicea, it was transferred in 1986 to the genus Regelia but it did not fit well in that genus either. In 1999 it was transferred again to a new genus Petraeomyrtus as P. punicea. Subsequent molecular studies, especially of chloroplast DNA have suggested that it is best placed in Melaleuca along with others from genera including Beaufortia, Callistemon and Regelia. Later publications include this species as Melaleuca punicea.

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

Calothamnus preissii is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low-lying, sometimes ground-hugging shrub with needle-like leaves and reddish-purple flowers in spring.

<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.

<i>Regelia inops</i> Species of flowering plant

Regelia inops is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an upright but often spreading shrub with tiny wedge shaped leaves and small heads of pink flowers on the ends of its branches in the warmer months.

<i>Amyema gaudichaudii</i> Species of mistletoe

Amyema gaudichaudii, commonly known as melaleuca mistletoe is a plant in the family Loranthaceae endemic to eastern Australia. Like other mistletoes, it is a shrubby, woody, aerial hemiparasite plant. It has relatively small, wedge-shaped leaves and small, dark red flowers arranged in groups of three. It only grows on a few species of Melaleuca.

<i>Petrophile carduacea</i> Species of shrub endemic to Western Australia

Petrophile carduacea is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to southwestern Western Australia. It is a shrub with deeply toothed leaves, and more or less spherical heads of hairy yellow flowers.

<i>Leptospermum myrtifolium</i> Australian species of plant

Leptospermum myrtifolium, commonly known as the myrtle tea-tree or grey tea-tree, is a species of shrub that is endemic to south eastern Australia. It has broad egg-shaped to elliptical leaves, white flowers usually borne singly on short side shoots, and fruit that remains on the plant until it dies.

<i>Philotheca myoporoides <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> myoporoides</i> Subspecies of flowering plant

Philotheca myoporoides subsp. myoporoides, commonly known as long-leaf wax flower, is a subspecies of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a shrub with oblong to elliptic or egg-shaped leaves and white or pink flowers arranged in groups of three to eight in leaf axils.

Teucrium sessiliflorum, commonly known as camel bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a tufted perennial herb with hairy, egg-shaped, lobed leaves and white or cream-coloured flowers.

<i>Gompholobium confertum</i> Species of flowering plant

Gompholobium confertum is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It a shrub that typically grows to a height of .15–1.2 m and flowers from August to December or January to March producing purple-blue, pea-like flowers. This species was first formally described in 1825 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle who gave it the name Burtonia conferta in Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis. In 1987 Michael Douglas Crisp changed the name to Gompholobium confertum. The specific epithet (confertum) means "crowded", referring to the foliage.

Pandorea floribunda is a species of flowering plant in the family Bignoniaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is similar to Pandorea pandorana but the leaflets are egg-shaped, 30–80 mm (1.2–3.1 in) long and 15–50 mm (0.59–1.97 in) wide and the flowers are pale yellow to cream-coloured.

<i>Bauera capitata</i> Species of flowering plant

Bauera capitata is a species of flowering plant in the family Cunoniaceae and is endemic to coastal eastern Australia. It is a small shrub with trifoliate, usually lobed leaves and sessile, deep pink flowers with twelve to fifteen stamens.

Olearia cydoniifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with scattered elliptic leaves, and white and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.

Olearia persoonioides is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a bushy shrub that typically grows to a height of 1.0–1.5 m. Its leaves are arranged alternately, oblong or egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, and 19–38 mm (0.75–1.50 in) long. They are shiny green on the upper surface and covered with silvery hairs on the lower side. The heads or daisy-like "flowers" are arranged in leafy panicles with 3 to 8 white ray florets surrounding 10 to 12 disc florets. Flowering occurs in January.

<i>Leucopogon cymbiformis</i> Species of shrub

Leucopogon cymbiformis is a flowering plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a bushy or wiry shrub that typically grows to a height of 30–50 cm (12–20 in) and has more or less glabrous branches. Its leaves are erect, linear to lance-shaped and sharply-pointed, mostly 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long. The flowers are arranged in short spikes, sometimes of only two or three flowers, with lance-shaped, leaf-like bracts, and bracteoles half as long as the sepals at the base of the spikes. The sepals are 2.5–3.0 mm (0.098–0.118 in) long and the petals slightly longer than the sepals, the lobes shorter than the petal tube.

References

  1. 1 2 "Beaufortia sprengelioides". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Beaufortia sprengelioides". FloraBase. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1867). Flora Australiensis. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. pp. 168–169. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  4. De Judicubus, Morris (2011). Botanical Notebook. Victoria. p. 8. ISBN   9781921775376 . Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  5. Walters, Brian. "First Cuttings". Australian Native Plants Society Australia. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  6. "Melaleuca sprengelioides". APNI. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  7. de Candolle, Augustin Pyramus (1828). Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis (Volume 3). Strasbourg and London: Sumptibus Sociorum Treuttel et Wurtz. p. 215. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  8. "Regelia ciliata". APNI. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  9. 1 2 Craven, Lyndley A. (February 1999). "Typification of the Name Regelia and Transfer of Melaleuca sprengelioides to Beaufortia (Myrtaceae)". Taxon. 48 (1): 53–55. doi:10.2307/1224622. JSTOR   1224622.
  10. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 483.
  11. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 350. ISBN   978-0646402437.