Conospermum flexuosum

Last updated

Conospermum flexuosum
Conospermum flexuosum.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Conospermum
Species:
C. flexuosum
Binomial name
Conospermum flexuosum
Habit Conospermum flexuosum habit.jpg
Habit

Conospermum flexuosum, commonly known as the tangled smokebush, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a sprawling shrub with many zig-zag branches, panicles of white to pale blue, tube-shaped flowers and urn-shaped, hairy nuts.

Contents

Descriiption

Conospermum flexuosum is a sprawling shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 0.2–1.5 m (7.9 in – 4 ft 11.1 in) and has many zig-zag or winding branches. The leaves are clustered at the base of the plant, spatula-shaped, square or almost circular in cross-section, 65–240 mm (2.6–9.4 in) long and 4–17 mm (0.16–0.67 in) wide on a petiole 17–70 mm (0.67–2.76 in) long. Older plants are often leafless. The flowers are borne in branching panicles with heads of 3 to 7 flowers on the ends with brownish-blue bracteoles 1.5–2.5 mm (0.059–0.098 in) long with velvety hairs. The perianth is tube-shaped, 2.0–3.5 mm (0.079–0.138 in) long and white to pale blue with woolly white or rust-coloured hairs, the lobes 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long and 0.5–1 mm (0.020–0.039 in) wide. Flowering occurs from May to October, and the fruit is an urn-shaped nut, 2.5–3.0 mm (0.098–0.118 in) long and 1.75–2.5 mm (0.069–0.098 in) wide and covered with soft, brown, red or white hairs. [2] [3]

Taxonomy

Conospermum flexuosum was first formally described in 1830 by Robert Brown in his Supplementum primum Prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae from specimens collected near King George Sound by William Baxter. [4] [5] The specific epithet (flexuosum) means 'flexuose' or 'zig-zag', referring to the branching habit. [6]

Subspecies

In 1995, Eleanor Marion Bennett described two subspecies of Conospermum flexuosum in the Flora of Australia , and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

Distribution and habitat

Conospermum flexuosum is found in sand pockets among granite outcrops, on winter-wet flat areas and along roadsides in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren bioregions of south-west Western Australia. [2] Subspecies flexuosum occurs near Albany, south of the Stirling Range and east to Wellstead, [8] [9] but subsp, laevigatum mostly occurs between Capel and Busselton, and east to Nannup. [12] [13]

Conservation status

Both subspecies of C. flexuosum are listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. [9] [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Agonis flexuosa</i> Species of tree

Agonis flexuosa, commonly known as peppermint, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. The Noongar peoples know the tree as wanil, wonnow, wonong or wannang. It is a tree or shrub with pendulous, very narrowly elliptic, narrowly elliptic or narrowly egg-shaped leaves, white flowers with 20 to 25 stamens opposite the sepals and broadly top-shaped to broadly cup-shaped capsules.

<i>Grevillea flexuosa</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Grevillea flexuosa, commonly known as zigzag grevillea or tangled grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with divided leaves, these lobes with three to five triangular lobes, and cylindrical clusters of cream-coloured to pale yellow flowers.

<i>Conospermum acerosum</i> Species of Australian shrub

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.

<i>Conospermum stoechadis</i> Species of Australian shrub

Conospermum stoechadis, commonly known as common smokebush, is a shrub endemic to Western Australia.

<i>Grevillea synapheae</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Grevillea synapheae, commonly known as catkin grevillea, is species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a prostrate to erect shrub usually with divided leaves with 3 to 7 triangular to more or less linear lobes, and clusters of white to creamy yellow flowers.

<i>Conospermum caeruleum</i> Species of Australian shrub

Conospermum caeruleum, commonly known as blue brother, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with small, dense heads of blue, rarely pink flowers and usually grows in heavy soils subject to flooding.

<i>Grevillea pyramidalis</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Grevillea pyramidalis, commonly known as the caustic bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to north-western Australia. It is an erect, spindly shrub or small tree with simple linear or pinnatisect leaves with linear to narrowly egg-shaped lobes, and white to yellow or cream-coloured flowers.

<i>Conospermum amoenum</i> Species of Australian shrub

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.

<i>Conospermum boreale</i> Species of Australian shrub

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.

<i>Conospermum canaliculatum</i> Species of Australian shrub in the family Proteaceae

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.

<i>Conospermum capitatum</i> Species of Australian shrub in the family Proteaceae

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.

<i>Conospermum cinereum</i> Species of Australian shrub in the family Proteaceae

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.

<i>Conospermum coerulescens</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae

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.

<i>Conospermum densiflorum</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae

Conospermum densiflorum, commonly known as crown 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, much-branched shrub with thread-like leaves at the base of the plant, and spikes or corymbs of velvety, cream-coloured or blue, tube-shaped flowers.

<i>Conospermum distichum</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae

Conospermum distichum is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with ascending, thread-like leaves, and spikes of woolly white, tube-shaped flowers with blue bracteoles.

<i>Conospermum eatoniae</i> Species of Australian shrub in the family Proteaceae

Conospermum eatoniae, commonly known as blue lace, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with egg-shaped leaves only present on young plants, and panicles of glabrous blue, tube-shaped flowers with pale green bracteoles.

<i>Conospermum ephedroides</i> Species of Australian shrub in the family Proteaceae

Conospermum ephedroides is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tufted shrub with many stems, a few cylindrical leaves at the base of the plant, and sessile spikes of glabrous white, pale pink or blue, tube-shaped flowers and reddish-brown to orange nuts.

<i>Conospermum filifolium</i> Species of Australian shrub in the family Proteaceae

Conospermum filifolium is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with thread-like, S-shaped leaves, and spike-like panicles of woolly white, occasionally blue, tube-shaped flowers.

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

Petrophile conifera is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a bushy, much-branched shrub with pinnate, sharply-pointed leaves, and oval heads of hairy, cream-coloured to yellowish white flowers.

Pimelea brevifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an undershrub or shrub with erect, elliptic leaves, and heads of white flowers surrounded by four involucral bracts.

References

  1. "Conospermum flexuosum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Conospermum flexuosum". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. Bennett, Edith M. "Conospermum flexuosum". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  4. "Conospermum flexuosum". APNI. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  5. Brown, Robert (1830). Supplementum primum Prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae. London: Typis R. Taylor. p. 11. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  6. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 200. ISBN   9780958034180.
  7. "Conospermum flexuosum subsp. flexuosum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  8. 1 2 Bennett, Edith M. "Conospermum flexuosum subsp. flexuosum". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 "Conospermum flexuosum subsp. flexuosum". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  10. "Conospermum flexuosum subsp. laevigatum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  11. "Conospermum flexuosum var laevigatum". APNI. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  12. 1 2 Bennett, Edith M. "Conospermum flexuosum subsp. laevigatum". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 "Conospermum flexuosum subsp. laevigatum". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.