Conospermum coerulescens | |
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Subspecies dorrienii in the Stirling Range National Park | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Proteales |
Family: | Proteaceae |
Genus: | Conospermum |
Species: | C. coerulescens |
Binomial name | |
Conospermum coerulescens | |
Conospermum coerulescens is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with thread-like to narrowly lance-shaped leaves and spikes of up to 10 greyish-blue to deep blue, hairy flowers.
Conospermum coerulescens is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in). It has ascending, thread-like to narrowly lance-shaped leaves 4–25 mm (0.16–0.98 in) long, 0.4–1.5 mm (0.016–0.059 in) wide. The flowers are arranged in leaf axils in a spike of up to 10 on a peduncle 7–60 mm (0.28–2.36 in) long. The bracteoles are blue, egg-shaped to more or less round, 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) long and wide, and hairy. The perianth is grey-blue to deep blue, forming a tube 1.5–3.5 mm (0.059–0.138 in) long. The upper lip is 3–4.6 mm (0.12–0.18 in) long, the lower lip joined for 2.2–3.2 mm (0.087–0.126 in) long with lobes 0.5–1.4 mm (0.020–0.055 in) long and 0.4–0.8 mm (0.016–0.031 in) wide. Flowering time depends on subspecies and the fruit is a nut 2.0–2.8 mm (0.079–0.110 in) long and 1.8–2.4 mm (0.071–0.094 in) wide with cream-coloured hairs. [2] [3] [4]
Conospermum coerulescens was first formally described in 1859 by Ferdinand von Mueller in his Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae from specimens collected by George Maxwell near the Salt River. [5] [6] The specific epithet (coerulescens) means 'becoming blue'. [7]
In 1995, Eleanor Marion Bennett described 2 subspecies of C. coerulescens, and the names, and that of the autonym, are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:
Conospermum coerulescens is found on sand plains and low hills, and is widespread in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee bioregions where it grows in sandy to loamy soils often over gravelly laterite. [2] [3]
Subspecies adpressum is found on sandplains and low hills between Albany, the Stirling Range National Park and Mount Manypeaks in the Esperance Plains and Jarrah Forest bioregions. [9] [10]
Subspecies coerulescens is poorly known from near Albany and Bremer Bay. [12] [13]
Subspecies dorrienii grows in sand, stony soil and gravel on rocky slopes in the Stirling Range National Park. [15] [16]
Subspecies adpressum and subsp. dorrienii are listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, [10] [16] but supsp. coerulescens is listed as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia, [13] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk. [17]
Conospermum acerosum, commonly known as needle-leaved smokebush, is a species of flowering plant in family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is spindly, erect or straggly shrub with needle-shaped or thread-like leaves, panicles of white or pink flowers and reddish brown nuts.
Conospermum stoechadis subsp. sclerophyllum is a shrub endemic to Western Australia.
Grevillea tripartita is species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, prickly shrub with divided leaves with 3 lobes, and clusters of red and cream-coloured or reddish-orange and yellow flowers.
Pomaderris paniculosa, commonly known as scurfy pomaderris, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is native to Australia and New Zealand. It is a shrub with hairy branchlets, round to elliptic or egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and panicles of hairy, cream-coloured to greenish, sometimes crimson-tinged flowers.
Kunzea similis is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area along the south coast of Western Australia. It is a shrub with linear to lance-shaped leaves with a single vein, and spherical groups of between four and ten pink flowers on the ends of shoots.
Conospermum amoenum, commonly known as blue smokebush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with linear leaves, and spikes of blue or white tube-shaped flowers.
Conospermum boreale is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, much-branched shrub with egg-shaped to elliptic or lance-shaped leaves, and panicles of woolly, white flowers.
Conospermum brachyphyllum is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open shrub thread-like leaves, and panicles of woolly, white flowers.
Conospermum bracteosum is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spindly shrub with egg-shaped leaves, sometimes with the narrower end towards the base, and spikes of silky, woolly, tube-shaped white flowers.
Conospermum brownii, commonly known as blue-eyed smokebush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a more or less open shrub with glaucous, lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and spike-like corymbs of white to cream-coloured flowers.
Conospermum canaliculatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a dense, multistemmed, erect shrub with linear leaves and spike-like panicles of woolly white, tube-shaped flowers.
Conospermum capitatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, erect shrub with coiled leaves and head-like panicles of red to pale yellow and hairy, tube-shaped flowers.
Conospermum cinereum is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is a spindly shrub with egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves, loose spikes of woolly, tube-shaped white flowers and woolly nuts.
Conospermum crassinervium, commonly known as summer smokebush or tassel smokebush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, tufted shrub with clustered leaves arranged at the base of the plant and corymbs of spikes of white to grey, hairy, tube-shaped flowers.
Conospermum croniniae is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with spreading cylindrical leaves and spikes of up to 6 pale blue or pink, tube-shaped, hairy flowers.
Cyanothamnus coerulescens, commonly known as blue boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is a small, spindly shrub with glandular stems, small, more or less cylindrical leaves and blue to pinkish mauve, four-petalled flowers. There are two subspecies endemic to Western Australia and a third that also occurs in three eastern states.
Philotheca nodiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a weak shrub with more or less cylindrical leaves and blue to pink flowers arranged in compact heads.
Goodenia azurea, commonly known as blue goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to northern Australia. It is an erect, dense, spreading or sprawling, glaucous, perennial herb with egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, racemes or thyrses of bluish-purple flowers with leaf-like bracts, and oval to cylindrical fruit.
Pultenaea calycina is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas in the south of Western Australia. It is an erect, spindly shrub with flat or more or less cylindrical, grooved leaves and yellow and orange flowers.
Spyridium mucronatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub usually with narrowly oblong leaves, and dense clusters of up to ten densely hairy, white to yellow flowers.