Cryptandra amara

Cryptandra amara
	In the Royal National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rhamnaceae
Genus:	Cryptandra
Species:	C. amara
Binomial name
	Cryptandra amara; Sm.
Synonyms
	Cryptandra amaraSm. var. amara; Cryptandra amara var. longiflora F.Muell. ex Maiden & Betche ; Cryptandra ericaefolia Sieber ex Fenzl nom. inval., pro syn.; Cryptandra largifloraF.Muell. ex Reissek ; Cryptandra nervataReissek; Cryptandra sieberiFenzl; Cryptandra sieberi var. angustifoliaFenzl; Cryptandra sieberi var. latifoliaFenzl; Cryptandra sieberiFenzl var. sieberi;

Last updated July 04, 2023

Cryptandra amara, commonly known as bitter cryptandra^[2] or pretty pearlflower,^[3] is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a densely-branched shrub with clustered, more or less linear to egg-shaped or elliptic leaves, and tube-shaped white flowers arranged on the ends of branchlets.

Description

Cryptandra amara is a small woody shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in). It is often extensively branched, the branchlets tending to be rigid, sometimes spiny, and covered in fine, star-shaped hairs. The leaves are more or less linear to oblong or egg-shaped, sometimes with the narrower end towards the base, 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) wide and often clustered at the ends of branchlets. The flowers are white, tube-shaped or bell-shaped, and arranged at the ends of branchlets, sometimes singly or in small groups, sometimes in spike-like clusters of many flowers. The bracts are brown, broadly elliptic and up to 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long. The sepals are about the same length as the floral tube, the petals about 0.5 mm (0.020 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs from August to October and the fruit of Cryptandra amara is a capsule that divides into single-seeded fruitlets. The seeds are reddish-brown in colour, with a short aril.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

Taxonomy

Cryptandra amara was first formally described in 1808 by James Edward Smith in The Cyclopaedia from specimens collected by "Dr. White".^[6]^[7] The specific epithet (amara) means "bitter".^[8]

Distribution and habitat

Cryptandra amara grows on shallow, often rocky soils, in grassland, shrubland, woodland and heathy forest in eastern Australia. It is found in south-east Queensland, through most of New South Wales, in central, northern and eastern Victoria and southern South Australia. In Tasmania it mainly occurs in the Southern Midlands with scattered population in other places.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

Conservation status

Pretty pearlflower is listed as "endangered" under the Tasmanian Government Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 .^[3]

Related Research Articles

Philotheca salsolifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It is a shrub with crowded, more or less cylindrical leaves and pink to mauve flowers with a dark central stripe and arranged singly or in twos or threes on the ends of branchlets.

Cryptandra tomentosa, commonly known as prickly cryptandra, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the southern continental Australia. It is a small, straggling, erect to low-lying shrub sometimes with spiny branches, and has cylindrical leaves and loose clusters of white, bell-shaped flowers that turn pink to red as they age.

Cryptandra ericoides, commonly known as heathy cryptandra, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a wiry, low-lying to erect shrub with often clustered, cylindrical leaves, and tube-shaped white flowers arranged in clusters on the ends of branchlets.

Cryptandra alpina, commonly known as alpine pearlflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a small, prostrate shrub with slender branches, linear leaves, and tube-shaped white flowers arranged singly on the ends of branches.

Cryptandra exilis, commonly known as slender pearlflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a small, straggly, low-growing shrub with linear leaves and tube-shaped white or cream-coloured flowers arranged in small groups on the ends of branches.

Cryptandra exserta is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to inland Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrowly oblong leaves and clusters of white, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra gemmata is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the far north of the Northern Territory. It is a shrub with clustered linear leaves and white to creamy-white, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra graniticola is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to southern Western Australia. It is an upright, spreading shrub with spiny branchlets, linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves and clusters of white, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra imbricata is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with spiny, interlaced branchlets, narrowly oblong to linear leaves and spike-like clusters of white, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra inconspicua is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a small, spreading shrub with narrowly elliptic to egg-shaped leaves and head-like clusters of white, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra intermedia is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a small shrub, usually with spiny branchlets, elliptic to linear leaves and spike-like clusters of white, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra intratropica is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is a slender, erect or spreading shrub with wedge-shaped to oblong or egg-shaped leaves and clusters of yellow to cream-coloured, tube-shaped flowers arranged in head-like clusters.

Cryptandra lanosiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with many branches, linear leaves, and hairy, white tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra longistaminea is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with many branches, egg-shaped or elliptic to linear leaves, and clusters of white, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra magniflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Victoria (Australia). It is a shrub with cylindrical leaves, and clusters of white, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra micrantha is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a prostrate or upright shrub with spiny branchlets, narrowly oblong to elliptic leaves and dense clusters of white or cream-coloured, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra minutifolia is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with oblong to elliptic leaves and clusters of white or pink, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra myriantha is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a slender, erect or straggling shrub with cylindrical leaves and more or less sessile clusters of creamy-white to pink flowers.

Cryptandra nola is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the western region of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading, spiny shrub with oblong to elliptic leaves and clusters of white, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra speciosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with clusters of linear to narrowly elliptic leaves, and clusters white, tube-shaped flowers in leaf axils.

References

1 2 "Cryptandra amara". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
1 2 3 Harden, Gwen J. "Cryptandra amara". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
1 2 3 4 "Cryptandra amara". Tasmanian Government Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
1 2 Walsh, Neville G.; Udovicic, Frank. "Cryptandra amara". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
1 2 "Cryptandra amara". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
↑ "Cryptandra amara". APNI. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
↑ Smith, James E. (1808). Rees, Abraham (ed.). Rees's Cyclopædia. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees Orme and Brown. p. 502. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
↑ William T. Stearn (1992). Botanical Latin. History, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary (4th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 367.

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[APC-1] 1 2 "Cryptandra amara". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 August 2022.

[RBGS-2] 1 2 3 Harden, Gwen J. "Cryptandra amara". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 22 August 2022.

[dpipwe-3] 1 2 3 4 "Cryptandra amara". Tasmanian Government Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment. Retrieved 22 August 2022.

[RBGV-4] 1 2 Walsh, Neville G.; Udovicic, Frank. "Cryptandra amara". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 22 August 2022.

[SA-5] 1 2 "Cryptandra amara". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 22 August 2022.

[APNI-6] "Cryptandra amara". APNI. Retrieved 22 August 2022.

[Sm.-7] Smith, James E. (1808). Rees, Abraham (ed.). Rees's Cyclopædia. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees Orme and Brown. p. 502. Retrieved 22 August 2022.

[Stearn-8] William T. Stearn (1992). Botanical Latin. History, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary (4th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 367.

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