Commersonia amystia

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Commersonia amystia
Commersonia amystia.jpg
Cultivated specimen in Bundanoon
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Commersonia
Species:
C. amystia
Binomial name
Commersonia amystia
Synonyms [1]
List
    • Rulingia sp. 'Single NP' (L.M.Copeland 2009)
    • Rulingia dasyphylla auct. non (Andrews) Sweet
    • Rulingia dasyphyllaauct. non (Andrews) Sweet
    • Rulingia hermanniifoliaauct. non (Gay ex Kunth) Endl.
    • Rulingia hermanniifoliaauct. non (Gay ex Kunth) Endl.
    • Rulingia salviifoliaauct. non (Hook. ex Steetz) Benth.
Habit Commersonia amystia habit.jpg
Habit

Commersonia amystia is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and endemic to eastern Australia. It is a dwarf shrub with narrow egg-shaped leaves that are densely covered with star-like hairs on the lower surface, and has flowers with five white sepals that turn pink as they age, and five smaller white petals.

Contents

Description

Commersonia amystia is a dwarf, prostrate to low-lying shrub that typically grows to a height of 10–30 cm (3.9–11.8 in) and has densely hairy branchlets. Juvenile leaves have three lobes and are up to 53 mm (2.1 in) long and 31 mm (1.2 in) wide with small serrations in the edges. The adult leaves are narrow egg-shaped, 2.5–32 mm (0.098–1.260 in) long and 1.5–9.2 mm (0.059–0.362 in) wide on a petiole 0.8–2.5 mm (0.031–0.098 in) long. They are covered with white star-like hairs, densely so on the lower surface, and have wavy or irregularly-toothed edges. The flowers are usually arranged in groups of two to four, the groups on a hairy peduncle 2.5–18 mm (0.098–0.709 in) long, the individual flowers on hairy pedicels 2–8.5 mm (0.079–0.335 in) long. The flowers have five white, petal-like sepals, sometimes pink at the base, 3.9–5.8 mm (0.15–0.23 in) long, and five white, cup-shaped petals about 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long and wide, red near the base with a white ligule 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long on the end. Five white staminodes surround the central stye. Flowering occurs from August to October and the fruit is a capsule 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long and 11.5–13 mm (0.45–0.51 in) wide, densely-covered with soft white hairs and bristles. [2] [3]

Taxonomy

Commersonia amystia was first formally described in 2008 by Carolyn F. Wilkins and Lachlan Mackenzie Copeland in the journal Telopea from material collected by Copeland near Inverell in 2003. [3] [4] The specific epithet (amystia) means "large cup" and refers to the base of the petals. [3]

Distribution and habitat

This commersonia grows in rock crevices in woodland and is known from populations near Inverell in New South Wales and in the Ballandean-Stanthorpe in Queensland. [2] [3]

Ecology

Commersonia amystia appears to be killed by fire but to germinate abundantly after, then appears to become senescent a few years later. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Commersonia dasyphylla</i> Species of flowering plant

Commersonia dasyphylla, commonly known as kerrawang, is a species of flowering plant of the family Malvaceae and is endemic to eastern continental Australia. It is a shrub with egg-shaped to lance-shaped with irregular edges and flowers in groups of up to 21, followed by hairy brown capsules.

<i>Commersonia borealis</i> Species of flowering plant

Commersonia borealis is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a low growing, spreading shrub with egg-shaped to oblong leaves, and white, yellow and cream-coloured flowers.

<i>Androcalva rosea</i> Species of flowering plant

Androcalva rosea, commonly known as Sandy Hollow commersonia, is a small endangered shrub with pink flowers and prostrate trailing branches. It is only known from four locations in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales.

<i>Commersonia breviseta</i> Species of flowering plant

Commersonia breviseta is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and endemic to eastern Australia. It is a dwarf shrub with densely-hairy, egg-shaped to narrow elliptic leaves that are paler on the lower surface, and flowers with five white sepals with pink edges, five smaller pale yellow petals and dark red stamens.

Commersonia corylifolia, commonly known as hazel-leaved rulingia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a spreading, erect shrub with egg-shaped to narrowly egg-shaped leaves, and white to cream-coloured flowers.

Commersonia grandiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with hairy, egg-shaped to elliptic leaves, and white or cream-coloured flowers.

Commersonia parviflora, commonly known as small flowered rulingia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a low, prostrate or dense shrub with wrinkled, egg-shaped leaves with rounded teeth on the edges, and clusters of small, white flowers.

<i>Commersonia prostrata</i> Species of flowering plant

Commersonia prostrata, commonly known as dwarf kerrawang, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and endemic to eastern continental Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with trailing branches, egg-shaped leaves, the lower surface densely covered with star-like hairs, white, petal-like sepals, and smaller, pinkish petals.

Commersonia rotundifolia, commonly known as round-leaved rulingia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an upright, openly-branched shrub with elliptic to round leaves with wavy edges, and white flowers in clusters of 3 to 10.

<i>Commersonia rugosa</i> Species of plant

Commersonia rugosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and endemic to New South Wales. It is an open, straggly shrub with linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves with irregular teeth or lobes on the edges, and white flowers in clusters of 3 to 15.

<i>Commersonia salviifolia</i> Species of plant

Commersonia salviifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with lance-shaped leaves and white flowers in clusters of 5 to 30.

<i>Commersonia erythrogyna</i> Species of flowering plant

Commersonia erythrogyna, commonly known as Trigwell's rulingia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to a restricted part of the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open, straggly shrub with oblong to egg-shaped leaves and creamy-white flowers.

Commersonia gilva, commonly known as golden commersonia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with elliptic to oblong or egg-shaped leaves and yellow flowers.

<i>Commersonia macrostipulata</i> Species of flowering plant

Commersonia macrostipulata is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a shrub or tree with egg-shaped leaves that are slightly serrated on the edges, flowers with five cream-coloured to white sepals and bristly fruit.

Androcalva beeronensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a shrub that forms suckers from rhizomes and has branchlets and leaves covered with soft, golden hairs, the leaves egg-shaped to lance-shaped with toothed edges, and clusters of 9 to 24 cream-coloured to white flowers.

Androcalva inglewoodensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Queensland. It is a spreading, prostrate shrub that has hairy young branchlets, egg-shaped to elliptic leaves with irregularly serrated edges, and small groups of white to cream-coloured flowers.

<i>Androcalva melanopetala</i> Species of shrub

Androcalva melanopetala is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to southern inland Western Australia. It is a sometimes prostrate shrub that has densely hairy new growth, egg-shaped to elliptic leaves with rounded teeth on the edges, and clusters of white or cream-coloured and pink to red flowers.

<i>Androcalva multiloba</i> Species of shrub

Androcalva multiloba is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia. It is a dwarf shrub with densely hairy, irregularly serrated, egg-shaped leaves, and up to 5 white and red flowers arranged opposite leaf axils or on the ends of branches.

<i>Androcalva pedleyi</i> Species of shrub

Androcalva pedleyi is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Queensland. It is low, spreading or prostrate shrub that forms suckers and has softly-hairy new growth, linear to lance-shaped leaves with lobes on the edges, and groups of 7 to 10 white, later pink flowers.

Androcalva perkinsiana, commonly known as headland commersonia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to a restricted part of central eastern Queensland. It is a small, erect shrub with hairy young branchlets, oblong or lance-shaped leaves with 5 to 11 pairs of small serrations on the edges, and groups of 3 to 4 pale purple flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 "Commersonia amystia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  2. 1 2 Murray, Louisa. "Comersonia amystia". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Wilkins, Carolyn F.; Copeland, Lachlan M.; Whitlock, Barbara A. (2008). "Two new species of Commersonia (Malvaceae sensu lat) from south-eastern Australia". Telopea. 12 (1): 60–64. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  4. "Commersonia amystia". APNI. Retrieved 12 December 2020.