Darwinia capitellata

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Darwinia capitellata
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Darwinia
Species:
D. capitellata
Binomial name
Darwinia capitellata
Darwinia capitellataDistMap5.png
Occurrence data from AVH

Darwinia capitellata is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a bushy, many-branched shrub, very similar to Darwinia diosmoides but differs in the arrangement of its flowers, its more branched habit, prominent oil glands on the younger stems and its thinner, paper-like bracteoles. It was first discovered as a separate species when specimens of it were found to have a larger chromosome number than specimens of D. diosmoides.

Contents

Description

Darwinia capitellata is a many-branched shrub growing to 1.0 metre (3 ft) high with its leaves crowded near the ends of the branches. The younger branches have prominent oil glands. The leaves have distinct oil glands, a distinct stalk and are 2.5–4.5 millimetres (0.1–0.2 in) long and 0.5–1.0 millimetre (0.02–0.04 in) wide. [2]

The flowers are arranged near the ends of the branches in heads that are more corymb-like than those of other species of Darwinia . The two bracteoles around each flower are 2.3–4.0 millimetres (0.09–0.2 in) long, 0.5–1.0 millimetre (0.02–0.04 in) wide, thin and papery and fall off as the flower matures. The petals are egg-shaped, white 1.8–2.3 millimetres (0.07–0.09 in) long and enclose the 10 stamens, staminodes and the lower part of the style. The style which protrudes from the rest of the flower is 4–6 millimetres (0.16–0.24 in) long and has a band of hairs near its tip. Flowering occurs between August and November and is followed by the fruit which is a non-fleshy nut containing a seed 1 millimetre (0.04 in) long. [2]

Taxonomy

The description of Darwinia capitellata was published in 1983 in Nuytsia by Barbara Rye, the first publication of a new species by the prolific taxonomist. [3] The type specimen was collected by Charles Gardner near Paynes Find. [1] It was first recognised as a distinct species when some specimens were found to have 12 chromosomes, rather than the usual 7 or 14 for Darwinia diosmoides, evidence that was later confirmed by comparison of their morphology. [3] The specific epithet (capitellata) is from the Latin word capitatus with the diminutive -ell-, hence meaning "forming a small head", [4] referring to the arrangement of the flowers in this species. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This darwinia grows on sandplains, sometimes on sandstone rock between Kalbarri National Park, Perenjori and Sandstone in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee, Murchison and Yalgoo biogeographic regions. [2] [5] [6]

Conservation

Darwinia capitellata is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Darwinia</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Darwinia, sometimes commonly known as mountain bells or simply bells, is a genus of about 70 species of evergreen shrubs in the family Myrtaceae, endemic to southeastern and southwestern Australia. The majority are native to southern Western Australia, but a few species occur in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. The genus was named in honour of Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles Darwin by Edward Rudge in 1816. Most darwinias grow to a height of between 0.2 and 3 m, and many are prostrate shrubs. Most have small, simple leaves and the flowers are often grouped together, each flower with five red, white or greenish petals and ten stamens. In many species, the flowers are surrounded by large, colourful bracts, giving rise to their common names.

<i>Verticordia spicata</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia spicata, commonly known as spiked featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually a dense, bushy shrub with small leaves pressed against the stem and spikes of pink flowers from late spring to early summer.

<i>Verticordia galeata</i> Species of shrub

Verticordia galeata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a woody shrub with thin, pointed cylinder-shaped leaves and heads of bright yellow flowers on the ends of the branches in spring.

Calothamnus accedens, commonly known as Piawaning clawflower, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was first formally described in 1984, declared extinct in 1992, rediscovered in 2004, removed from the "extinct" list in 2013 and found to have a population of at least 25,000 in 2015. It is a small erect shrub with crowded hairy leaves and red flowers. In 2014 Craven, Edwards and Cowley proposed that the species be renamed Melaleuca accedens.

Calothamnus aridus is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to central parts of Western Australia. It is an erect, densely branched shrub with many stems, needle-like leaves and orange-red to pinkish flowers, growing in arid areas with spinifex.

Calothamnus superbus is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, often spreading, straggly shrub similar to Calothamnus aridus with its red flowers having 5 stamen bundles, but its leaves are longer and wider. It has a limited distribution near Pigeon Rocks south of Lake Barlee.

Verticordia gracilis is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low shrub with small leaves and rounded groups of fluffy pale to deep pink flowers in late spring or early summer, following rain.

<i>Darwinia apiculata</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia apiculata, commonly known as the scarp darwinia, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in Western Australia. It is a rounded, densely branched, small shrub with thin red branches and scattered small leaves. The flowers are arranged in small groups on the ends of the branches, their most obvious feature being long, red, pointed bracts surrounding each flower and a longer red style with scattered hairs near its tip.

<i>Darwinia chapmaniana</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia chapmaniana, commonly known as Chapman's bell or Eganu bell, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, rounded, spreading shrub with greyish, hairy leaves and flowers in heads of about 14 small, tubular flowers. The heads are surrounded by long, reddish-yellow, hairy bracts.

<i>Darwinia wittwerorum</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia wittwerorum, commonly known as Wittwer's darwinia, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in Western Australia. An erect, spindly shrub with fine leaves and hanging groups of flowers surrounded by leaf-like bracts, it is one of the darwinias known as mountain bells.

Darwinia ferricola, commonly known as the Scott River darwinia, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in Western Australia. It is a rounded, densely branched shrub with crowded, linear leaves mostly only on younger branches. The flowers are greenish-yellow and red, and arranged in groups on the ends of the branches, with a long white or reddish style protruding from the petal tube.

<i>Darwinia hortiorum</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia hortiorum is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a compact, densely branched shrub with small leaves and inflorescences composed of up to twenty flowers with glossy, pale yellow to reddish petals and fleshy dark green sepals surrounded by papery brown bracteoles.

Thryptomene caduca is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the north-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with crowded egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and pink flowers with five petals and seven to nine stamens.

Thryptomene eremaea is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with upward-pointing, oval leaves and white or pale pink flowers with five petals and ten irregularly arranged stamens.

Thryptomene hubbardii is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with crowded broadly egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and flowers with five pale pink petals and nine or ten stamens.

Thryptomene johnsonii is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of Western Australia. It is a bushy shrub with rigid branches, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and pink flowers with five petals and usually eight stamens.

Thryptomene mucronulata is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with upward-pointing, overlapping, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and pink flowers with five petals and ten stamens.

Thryptomene nitida is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with upward-pointing, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and flowers with five pale purple or pinkish petals and ten stamens.

Thryptomene orbiculata is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with broadly egg-shaped to more or less round leaves, and flowers with five pinkish petals and usually ten stamens.

Thryptomene podantha is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and flowers with pink sepals and petals and ten stamens.

References

  1. 1 2 "Darwinia capitellata". APNI. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Rye, Barbara Lynette (1983). "Darwinia capitellata (Myrtaceae), a new species from south-western Australia". Nuytsia. 4 (3): 423–426.
  3. 1 2 Thiele, K. (May 2019). "Post "The amazing Dr Rye"". Taxonomy Australia. Australian Academy of Science.
  4. ↑ Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 157. ISBN   9780958034180.
  5. 1 2 "Darwinia capitellata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  6. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 359. ISBN   0646402439.
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