Darwinia foetida

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Muchea bell
Darwinia foetida.jpg
Darwinia foetida near Bullsbrook
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Darwinia
Species:
D. foetida
Binomial name
Darwinia foetida
Darwinia foetidaDistMap12.png
Occurrence data from AVH

Darwinia foetida, commonly known as Muchea bell, [2] is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small upright shrub with greenish coloured nodding flowers at the apex of the stems, that have an unpleasant odour (hence the Latin specific epithet foetida, "smelly"). This is a very restricted species, known from only a couple of locations.

Contents

Description

Darwinia foetida is a spreading upright shrub to 0.7 metres (2 ft) tall, often straggling over other plants for support. The young branches are green-brown and slender, with prominent decurrent leaf bases that become grey and woody. The green leaves are smooth, narrow and triangular in cross-section. The leaves are sharply bent forward and 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long, ending in a sharp point. The inflorescence consists of 12-15 flowers usually nodding at the end of the stem. The flower bracts are in rows, leaf-like and wider at the base. Individual flowers have two floral brown dry elongated bracts 2–3 mm (0.079–0.12 in) long tapering to a point. The longest bracts are red with green edges, hairs are 18–27 mm (0.71–1.1 in) long. Flowers are brown and tubular with ribs 3 mm (0.12 in) long. The sepals are a small triangle shape about 1 mm (0.039 in) long. Petals are egg-shaped to angled, about 1 mm (0.039 in) long and sharply pointed. The curved red style is wider at the base and 12–16 mm (0.47–0.63 in) long and tapering with hairs. It blooms between in late spring from October to November producing green flowers that have a foetid aroma. [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Darwinia foetida was first formally described in 2010 by Gregory John Keighery and published in the Australian Plant Census. The specific epithet (foetida) refers to the distinctive foetid smell of the flowers. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Muchea bell is found in a small area on the Swan Coastal Plain, [4] with three locations recorded around Muchea about 70 kilometres (43 mi) north of Perth, Western Australia occupying a total area of about 1.2 square kilometres (0.5 sq mi). It grows on sandy grey-black mounds where there are seasonally moist winters to wet clay situations in either tall or low scrubland and areas where water collects. [3] [4]

Conservation status

Darwinia foetida is classified as "critically endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as "endangered" under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 in Western Australia. The species has a restricted area of distribution in the Muchea area. The present main threat is grazing by rabbits, also weed invasion, inappropriate fire regimes and disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi . [3]

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>Pimelea physodes</i>

Pimelea physodes, commonly known as Qualup bell, is a species of shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has egg-shaped to narrow elliptical leaves and distinctive bell-like inflorescences with tiny greenish flowers surrounded by long elliptical bracts. The inflorescence resembles those of some of the only distantly-related darwinia "bells" and the bracts are a combination of red, purple, green and cream-coloured.

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

Darwinia squarrosa, commonly known as the fringed mountain bell or pink mountain bell, is a shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.

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

Darwinia fascicularis is shrub in the myrtle family and is endemic to areas near Sydney. A small shrub with aromatic foliage and white flowers, turning red as they mature. Nectar feeding birds are attracted to its flowers as a food source.

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

Darwinia collina, commonly known as the yellow mountain bell, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It grows as an erect shrub 0.3–1.2 metres (1–4 ft) high with crowded elliptical leaves and bright yellow flower-like inflorescences. It is endemic to a few small areas in the Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia and as a result is classified as an endangered species.

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

Darwinia oxylepis, commonly known as Gillham's bell, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It grows as a dense, upright shrub 1.0–1.5 m (3.3–4.9 ft) high, and produces large numbers of red inflorescences prominently displayed on the ends of the branchlets in spring. It is one of a group of Darwinias including D. leiostyla, D. macrostegia, D. meeboldii, D. collina and D. squarrosa collectively known as mountain bells. The species is found in only a few seasonally moist gullies near the lower slopes of the Stirling Range National Park and nearby Porongurup National Park and is therefore classified as endangered.

<i>Hakea newbeyana</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Hakea newbeyana is a shrub in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to an area in the southern Wheatbelt and Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia. It is a prickly shrub with smooth grey bark and sweetly scented cream-yellow flowers in profusion in spring.

<i>Hakea megadenia</i> Species of plant of the family Proteacea endemic to Tasmania and the Furneaux Island group

Hakea megadenia is a shrub or tree of the family Proteacea endemic to an area along the east coast of Tasmania and the Furneaux Island group off the coast of Tasmania.

<i>Hakea stenophylla</i> Species of plant in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Hakea stenophylla is a shrub or tree in the family Proteacea, with sweetly scented creamy-white flowers. It is endemic to Western Australia.

<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.

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

Darwinia acerosa, commonly known as the fine-leaved darwinia, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in south-west of Western Australia. It is a densely branched, heath-like shrub with crowded, finely pointed leaves and drooping heads of forty to fifty yellowish-green flowers.

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 masonii</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia masonii, commonly known as Mason's darwinia is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia.

Darwinia terricola, commonly known as the Blackwood bell, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, low, sometimes prostrate shrub with small, linear leaves and small groups of flowers surrounded by reddish-green bracts and which usually lie on the ground.

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

Darwinia whicherensis, commonly known as the Abba bell, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with linear leaves and bell-shaped, flower-like inflorescences containing more than twenty flowers surrounded by bracts, the largest of which are red with green edges.

Petrophile latericola is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to southwestern Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with needle-shaped leaves and spherical heads of bright yellow flowers.

<i>Homoranthus porteri</i> Species of flowering plant

Homoranthus porteri is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in northern Queensland. It is an upright shrub with creamy-white to red pendulous flowers in pairs on a short stalk with red bracts and small linear leaves.

<i>Hakea oldfieldii</i> Species of shrub of the family Proteaceae endemic to the South West region of Western Australia

Hakea oldfieldii is a shrub of the family Proteaceae and is endemic to South West region of Western Australia. It has small white or cream-yellow flowers in profusion in spring.

References

  1. "Darwinia foetida". APC. Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  2. "Darwinia foetida". Species Profile & Threats Database. Department of Environment & Energy. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Keighery, Gregory J. "Darwinia foetida" (PDF). "Nuytsia" Volume 19 2009. Department of Environment & Conservation. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Darwinia foetida". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.