Commersonia breviseta

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Commersonia breviseta
Commersonia breviseta.jpg
Near Lochiel
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Commersonia
Species:
C. breviseta
Binomial name
Commersonia breviseta
Synonyms [1]
List
    • Rulingia dasyphyllaauct. non (Andrews) Sweet: Harden, G.J. in Harden, G.J. (ed.)
    • Rulingia dasyphyllaauct. non (Andrews) Sweet: Short, P.S. in Walsh, N.G. & Entwisle, T.J. (ed.)
    • Rulingia hermanniifoliaauct. non (Gay ex Kunth) Endl.: Ross, E.M. in Stanley, T.D. & Ross, E.M.
    • Rulingia hermanniifoliaauct. non (Gay ex Kunth) Endl.: Guymer, G.P. in Henderson, R.J.F. (ed.)
    • Rulingia rugosaauct. non Steetz: Harden, G.J. in Harden, G.J.

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.

Contents

Description

Commersonia breviseta is an erect or low-lying shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) and has hairy branchlets. Juvenile leaves have three lobes and are 45–110 mm (1.8–4.3 in) long and 20–45 mm (0.79–1.77 in) wide. The adult leaves are narrow elliptic to egg-shaped, 8–24 mm (0.31–0.94 in) long and 1.5–7.5 mm (0.059–0.295 in) wide on a hairy petiole 1–6 mm (0.039–0.236 in) long. The leaves are covered with white, star-like hairs and are paler on the lower surface. The flowers are arranged in groups of two to sixteen 8–35 mm (0.31–1.38 in) long, the groups on a densely hairy peduncle 2.5–6 mm (0.098–0.236 in) long, the individual flowers on densely-hairy pedicels 2–6.5 mm (0.079–0.256 in) long. The flowers have five white, petal-like sepals with a green base and pink edges, 3.5–6.5 mm (0.14–0.26 in) long, and five pale yellow, cup-shaped petals about 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.138 in) long with a white ligule 1.5–2.5 mm (0.059–0.098 in) long on the end and that turns pink as it ages. The stamens are dark red and five white staminodes surround the central stye. Flowering occurs from September to November and the fruit is a brown capsule 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.138 in) long and 4.5–5.5 mm (0.18–0.22 in) wide, densely-covered with soft white hairs and short, brown bristles. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Commersonia breviseta was first formally described in 2008 by Carolyn F. Wilkins and Lachlan Mackenzie Copeland in the journal Telopea from material collected in Girraween National Park in 2004. [3] [5] The specific epithet (breviseta) means "short bristles" and refers to the bristles on the fruit. [3]

Distribution and habitat

This commersonia grows in rocky places in heath or woodland and occurs from Girraween National Park in far south-eastern Queensland to Genoa in far north-eastern Victoria, and is most common on the tablelands of New South Wales. [2] [3]

Ecology

Commersonia breviseta appears to be killed by fire but to germinate abundantly after, then appears to become senescent after about five years. [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>Commersonia hermanniifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Commersonia hermanniifolia, commonly known as wrinkled kerrawang, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a prostrate or trailing shrub with oblong to lance-shaped leaves that are paler on the lower surface, and flowers with five white sepals fading to pink and five pinkish petals.

<i>Boronia umbellata</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia umbellata, commonly known as the Orara boronia, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area on the north coast of New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with many branches, aromatic, pinnate leaves and clusters of up to ten dark pink flowers in the leaf axils.

<i>Boronia warrumbunglensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia warrumbunglensis is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in the central west of New South Wales. It is a shrub with many branches, pinnate leaves and one or two pink, four-petalled flowers in the leaf axils. It is only known from the Warrumbungles and nearby districts.

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

Leptospermum blakelyi is a species of shrub that is endemic to rocky clifftops near Lithgow in New South Wales. It has densely silky young stems, egg-shaped to elliptical leaves and white or pink flowers.

<i>Leptospermum gregarium</i> Species of shrub

Leptospermum gregarium is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. Its young stems are hairy the leaves are egg-shaped to lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, the flowers are white and arranged singly or in pairs on short side branches and the fruit remain on the plant at maturity. It usually grows in dense stands in swamps or along rocky creeks in high altitude place in northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland.

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

Leptospermum namadgiense is a species of small shrub that is endemic to areas near the border between New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It has silky-hairy, narrow lance-shaped to elliptical leaves, usually white flowers borne singly or in pairs on short side shoots, and fruit that falls from the plant shortly after the seeds are released.

<i>Leptospermum semibaccatum</i> Species of shrub

Leptospermum semibaccatum is a species of low, dense shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has egg-shaped to narrow elliptical leaves with a blunt tip, white or pink flowers and hairy, flat-topped fruit that falls from the plant shortly after the seeds are released. It grows in poorly-drained soil in coastal heath.

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

Commersonia bartramia, commonly known as brown kurrajong, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is native to Southeast Asia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales. It is a tree or shrub with heart-shaped to egg-shaped leaves much paler on the lower surface, and sometimes with fine, irregular teeth on the edges.

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

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.

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.

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

Commersonia densiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a dense, low-growing shrub with pinnate, elliptic to narrowly oblong, prominently veined leaves, and white flowers in clusters of 100 or more.

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.

<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.

<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>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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Commersonia breviseta". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  2. 1 2 Murray, Louisa. "Comersonia breviseta". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 14 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): 65–69. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  4. Messina, Andre. "Commersonia breviseta". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  5. "Commersonia breviseta". APNI. Retrieved 14 December 2020.