| Rainbow plant | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Byblidaceae |
| Genus: | Byblis |
| Species: | B. gigantea |
| Binomial name | |
| Byblis gigantea | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Byblis gigantea, commonly known as rainbow plant, [2] is a carnivorous species of plant [3] in the Byblidaceae family. It is endemic to Australia.
The small perennial herb or sub-shrub has many branches and typically grows to a height of 0.45 metres (1.5 ft) in height. [2] It is a tall leafy plant with the leaf bases closely spaced. It has deep, woody perennial rootstock that the plant is able to resprout from the rhizomes after fire. [4] It blooms between September and January producing pink-purple and white flowers. [2] It has three nerved sepals and forms an obtuse subglobose shaped capsule with many faint nerves. The seeds have highly corrugated and ribbed sculptured plates. Seeds have a length of 0.6 to 1.5 millimetres (0.024 to 0.059 in) and a width of 0.6 to 1.0 mm (0.024 to 0.039 in) with shallow transverse ridges. [4]
The species was first formally described by the botanist John Lindley in 1839 as part of the work A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony. The only known synonym is Byblis lindleyana as described by Jules Émile Planchon in 1848. [5]
The type specimen was collected by James Drummond in 1839 from around the Swan River. The specific epithet is taken from the Latin word giganteus meaning giant referring to the larger size of this species compared to Byblis liniflora .
B. gigantea is closely related to Byblis lamellata but they have different seed morphology. [4]
It has a scattered distribution from the Wheatbelt region around Dandaragan in the north down through the suburbs of Perth, Western Australia on the Swan Coastal Plain and into the Darling Range then south as far as Boddington in the Peel region. The plant is often found in and around swamps and seasonally wet areas growing in sandy peaty soils [2] and is usually part of low Leptospermum and Restionaceae dominated shrubland communities. [4]
The species was listed a Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list in 2000. [1]
In 2002 the species was listed as a "Priority Two" flora, mostly as a result of it being absent over much of its former range due to urban expansion throughout the Perth metropolitan area. [4]
B. gigantea prefers drier conditions than most sundews. It grows well in large pots containing a very sandy soil mix and is top-watered only. These plants are prone to fungal death until they become established. To germinate the seeds for this plant gibberellic acid treatment or pot fire treatment may be required. The age of the seeds is not important, seeds over 22 years of age have germinated after fire treatment. [3]
Drosophyllum is a genus of carnivorous plants containing the single species Drosophyllum lusitanicum, commonly known as Portuguese sundew or dewy pine. In appearance, it is similar to the related genus Drosera, and to the much more distantly related Byblis.
Byblis is a small genus of carnivorous plants, sometimes termed the rainbow plants for the attractive appearance of their mucilage-covered leaves in bright sunshine. Native to Australia and New Guinea, it is the only genus in the family Byblidaceae. The first species in the genus was described by the English botanist Richard Anthony Salisbury in 1808. Eight species are now recognised.
Southwest Australia is a biogeographic region in Western Australia. It includes the Mediterranean-climate area of southwestern Australia, which is home to a diverse and distinctive flora and fauna.
Acacia saligna, commonly known by various names including coojong, golden wreath wattle, orange wattle, blue-leafed wattle, Western Australian golden wattle, and, in Africa, Port Jackson willow, is a small tree in the family Fabaceae. Native to Australia, it is widely distributed throughout the south west corner of Western Australia, extending north as far as the Murchison River, and east to Israelite Bay. The Noongar peoples know the tree as Cujong.
Byblis aquatica is an insectivorous plant belonging to the genus Byblis, commonly known as the rainbow plants. It was described by Allen Lowrie and John Godfrey Conran in 1998, assigned to a group of annual north Australian species known as the "Byblis liniflora complex". It grows in semi-aquatic conditions and uses stalked mucilaginous glands covering its leaf surfaces to attract, catch, and digest insect prey to supplement the poor environmental nutrient supply.
Banksia proteoides, commonly known as king dryandra, is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. It was known as Dryandra proteoides until 2007, when all Dryandra species were transferred to Banksia by Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele.
Drosera broomensis is a small, perennial carnivorous plant in the genus Drosera that is endemic to Western Australia.
Callitris verrucosa, also known as the mallee pine, is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is found only in Australia. The plant has a green-grey colour, rigid branches and can reach a height of 8 metres (26 ft). It has a slow growth rate.
Byblis rorida is a species of carnivorous plant in the Byblidaceae family. It is endemic to Australia.
Macrozamia riedlei, commonly known as a zamia or zamia palm, is a species of cycad in the plant family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to southwest Australia and often occurs in jarrah forests. It may only attain a height of half a metre or form an above trunk up to two metres with long arching fronds of a similar length. The giant cones amidst the crown of palm-like fronds contain edible seeds surrounded by red sarcotesta. The seeds are consumed by birds and animals, and can be a favoured part of the human diet when prepared correctly. M. riedlei benefits from a close association with bacteria that fix nitrogen, which also produce substances found throughout the plant that are toxic to some animals when consumed. The species is cultivated for ornamental use in urban and domestic environments.
Byblis lamellata is a carnivorous plant in the Byblidaceae family. It is endemic to Australia.
Eucalyptus salmonophloia, commonly known as salmon gum, wurak or weerluk or woonert or marrlinja. is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between nine and thirteen, creamy white flowers and hemispherical fruit.
Drosera gigantea, the giant sundew, is an erect perennial tuberous species in the carnivorous plant genus Drosera that is endemic to Western Australia. It grows in sandy soils at the margins of swamps and near granite outcrops along the Western Australian coast from Albany north to just south of Geraldton. D. gigantea produces small shield-shaped leaves along many lateral branches that look like a small tree. Individual plants can grow up to 0.2–1 m (0.7–3.3 ft) tall. Because of its tall, tree-like form, it is considered one of the largest Drosera species. It is also easily cultivated and enjoys damp, humid conditions often provided in greenhouses. White flowers emerge from August to November. The red tubers of this species can grow to be 3.8 cm (1.5 in) in diameter and may be a metre below ground.
Drosera marchantii is an erect perennial tuberous species in the carnivorous plant genus Drosera. It is endemic to Western Australia and grows in a variety of habitats, including swampy areas and hilltops in laterite-silica sand soils. D. marchantii produces small, circular, peltate carnivorous leaves along stiff stems that can be 10–40 cm (4–16 in) high. Its pink flowers emerge from June to October.
Verticordia hughanii, commonly known as Hughan's featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with spreading, oblong leaves and spike-like groups of bright red flowers near the ends of the branches. It is a rare plant, only known from three small populations and currently meets the requirements of the World Conservation Union Red List Category "Endangered".
Xanthorrhoea thorntonii, commonly known as Cundeelee grasstree, Cundeelee blackboy, desert grasstree, yacka or grasstree, is a species of grasstree of the genus Xanthorrhoea native to central Australia. It is known to the Pitjantjatjara people as kata-kultu, kata-puru, ulpa or urara, the Warlpiri people as yurlurnkuru and the Arrernte as lunkere. X. thorntonii is the only grass tree found in Central Australia including the Great Sandy Desert, Great Victoria Desert and MacDonnell Ranges.
Scaevola canescens is a species of plant in the family Goodeniaceae. It is endemic to Western Australia where it occurs "from Shark Bay to Perth, in open forest and heath in sandy soil".
Glischrocaryon flavescens is a perennial herb with woody roots that occurs in southern and western Australia.
Anigozanthos rufus is a grass-like evergreen perennial plant native to the southern coasts of Western Australia. Common names include red kangaroo paw, crimson kangaroo paw, and backdraft.
Swainsona canescens, commonly known as grey swainsona, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is a small perennial herb with pink-purple or purple, yellow and green flowers and grows in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.
