Cryptandra apetala

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Cryptandra apetala
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Cryptandra
Species:
C. apetala
Binomial name
Cryptandra apetala

Cryptandra apetala is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with tufted, linear to lance-shaped leaves, and urn-shaped white to creamy-white and pink flowers arranged on short side shoots.

Contents

Description

Cryptandra apetala is a woody shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 15–50 cm (5.9–19.7 in). The leaves are arranged in tufts, linear to lance-shaped with the edges rolled under, so that the leaves appear cylindrical. The flowers are white to creamy-white and pink, arranged in clusters of 2 to 8 on short side shoots. The bracts are brown and shorter than the sepals lobes. The sepals are about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and joined at the base to form an urn-shaped tube, the tube and sepals lobes densely covered with soft hairs. There are no petals but the stamens have relatively large anthers. Flowering occurs from August to October. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Cryptandra apetala was first formally described in 1909 by Alfred James Ewart and Jean White-Haney in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria from specimens collected near Cowcowing by Max Koch. [5] [3] The specific epithet (apetala) means "without petals". [6]

In 1995, Barbara Lynette Rye described two varieties of C. apetala in the journal Nuytsia , and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

Distribution and habitat

This cryptandra grows on sandy soil in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee and Yalgoo bioregions of south-western Western Australia. [2]

Conservation status

Both varieties of C. apetala are listed as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cryptandra</i> Genus of flowering plants

Cryptandra is a genus of flowering plants family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Australia. Most plants in the genus Cryptandra are spiny, heath-like shrubs with small, clustered leaves and flowers crowded at the ends of branches, the flowers are usually small, surrounded by brown bracts, and with tube-shaped hypanthium, the petals hooded over the anthers.

<i>Cryptandra arbutiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Cryptandra arbutiflora, commonly known as waxy cryptandra, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a shrub with spiny branches, elliptic to linear leaves and tube-shaped white flowers.

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

<i>Cryptandra connata</i> Species of flowering plant

Cryptandra connata is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to inland Western Australia. It is an erect, prickly shrub with linear to lance-shaped leaves and clusters of white, pink or purple, tube-shaped flowers.

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

Cryptandra filiformis is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to north Queensland. It is a shrub with narrowly elliptic to narrowly lance-shaped leaves and white to creamy-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 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 intonsa is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to inland Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with linear to narrowly oblong leaves and white or cream-coloured, tube-shaped flowers arranged in head-like clusters.

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 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.

<i>Stenanthemum nanum</i> Species of flowering plant

Stenanthemum nanum is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with hairy young stems, broadly egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and densely silvery-hairy heads of white or cream-coloured 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 monticola is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with linear or narrowly oblong to elliptic leaves and head-like clusters of white, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra pendula is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a shrub with linear leaves and clusters of 5 to 15 pendulous, white, tube-shaped flowers.

<i>Cryptandra recurva</i> Species of flowering plant

Cryptandra recurva is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with densely hairy young stems, narrowly oblong to narrowly egg-shaped leaves and clusters of white, cream-coloured or off-white, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra stellulata is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a shrub with spiny branches, narrowly oblong to linear leaves and spike-like clusters of 2 to 12 white, tube-shaped flowers.

Cryptandra wilsonii is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with hairy young stems, oblong to narrowly oblong leaves and clusters of white, tube-shaped flowers arranged in small clusters.

References

  1. "Cryptandra apetala". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Cryptandra apetala". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. 1 2 Ewart, Alfred J.; White-Haney, Jean (1909). "Contributions to the Flora of Australia No. 12". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 22 (1): 93. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  4. Rye, Barbara L. (1995). "New and priority taxa in the genera Cryptandra and Stenanthemum (Rhamnaceae) of Western Australia". Nuytsia. 10 (2): 256–259. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  5. "Cryptandra apetala". APNI. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  6. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 134. ISBN   9780958034180.
  7. "Cryptandra apetala var. anomala". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  8. "Cryptandra apetala var. apetala". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 25 August 2022.