| Fringed mountain bell | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Darwinia |
| Species: | D. squarrosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Darwinia squarrosa | |
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.
Darwinia squarrosa is a shrub with an erect and straggly habit, typically growing a height of 0.2–1 m (7.9 in–3 ft 3.4 in). The fringed bracts around the flowers form a pendent "bell" which is usually red or pink. These are primarily produced between August and November in the species' native range. [2] [3]
Darwinia squarrosa was first formally described in 1852 by Ukrainian-Russian botanist Nicolai Stepanovitch Turczaninow who gave it the name Genetyllis squarrosa. The species was transferred to the genus Darwinia in 1923 by Czech botanist Karel Domin. [1] The specific epithet (squarrosa) is a Latin word meaning "rough with stiff scales, bracts or processes". [4]
The fringed mountain bell occurs on rocky slopes of the eastern peaks of the Stirling Range National Park. [2] [5]
The fringed mountain bell is classified as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia). [5] [6]
The species requires good drainage and protection from direct sun. It is difficult to propagate from seed, but cuttings strike readily. Grafting on stocks of Darwinia citriodora may be carried out in areas with unsuitable growing conditions. [3]
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.
Banksia squarrosa, commonly known as pingle, is a species of prickly shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has linear to narrow lance-shaped leaves with up to ten sharply-pointed teeth on each side, yellow flowers in heads of about sixty and later, up to seven oblong to egg-shaped follicles in each head.
Darwinia macrostegia, commonly known as Mondurup bell, is a shrub which is endemic to a localised area near Albany in Western Australia. It usually grows to between 0.3 and 0.9 metres in height and produces red and white flowers between late autumn and late spring.
Grevillea drummondii, or Drummond's grevillea, is a shrub which is endemic to the south west region of Western Australia.
Darwinia neildiana, commonly known as fringed bell, is a shrub which is endemic to Western Australia. It grows to between 0.2 and 1 metre in height and produces red flowers between August and December in the species' native range. The species was first formally described by Victorian Government botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1875 in Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.
Darwinia leiostyla is an erect shrub in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It typically grows to a height of 0.3–1.5 m and has linear leaves up to about 10 mm (0.39 in) long crowded along the branches. Pendent, bell-shaped, flower-like inflorescences appear from May to January. These are clusters of small flowers surrounded by larger pink, red or white, petal-like bracts.
Darwinia meeboldii, the Cranbrook bell, is a shrub which is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has an erect and straggly habit, growing to between 0.5 and 3 metres high. The bracts around the flowers form a pendent "bell" which is usually white with red tips. A group of 8 small flowers are concealed inside. These are primarily produced between August and November.
Adenanthos dobagii, commonly known as Fitzgerald woollybush, is a shrub in the family Proteaceae. It grows to a mere 50 cm high, with crowded small silvery leaves and insignificant pink or cream flowers. It occurs only in southwestern Australia, where it is found in Fitzgerald River National Park on the south coast.
Darwinia micropetala, commonly known as small darwinia, is a small shrub that is native to south-eastern Australia. It grows to 0.5 metres high and has small leaves and clusters of small white and pink flowers that appear between June and December in the species' native range.
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.
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.
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.
Darwinia carnea, commonly known as Mogumber bell or Narrogin 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 narrow, keeled leaves and flowers in groups of about eight, surrounded by yellowish-green to pinkish-red bracteoles. It occurs in small, isolated populations near the towns which contribute to its common names. It is the only "bell-flowered" Darwinia to not grow in the Stirling Range National Park.
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.
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 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 foetida, commonly known as Muchea bell, 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. This is a very restricted species, known from only a couple of locations.
Darwinia masonii, commonly known as Mason's darwinia is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia.
Darwinia nubigena, commonly known as success bell or red mountain bell, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia.
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.
