Eremaea asterocarpa

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Eremaea asterocarpa
Eremaea asterocarpa gnangarra.jpg
In the Perth suburb of Southern River
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eremaea
Species:
E. asterocarpa
Binomial name
Eremaea asterocarpa
Synonyms

Melaleuca asterocarpa (Hnatiuk) Craven & R.D.Edwards

Contents

Habit near Badgingarra Eremaea asterocarpa (habit).JPG
Habit near Badgingarra
Fruit Eremaea asterocarpa (fruits).JPG
Fruit

Eremaea asterocarpa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with broad, flat leaves, and orange-coloured flowers in late winter or spring. Single flowers appear on the ends of branches formed the previous year.

Description

Eremaea asterocarpa is a shrub, growing to a height of 1.3 metres (4 ft). It has a variable form, sometimes low and spreading, others erect or short and twisted. The leaves are 3.4–8.3 millimetres (0.1–0.3 in) long, 1.0–4.5 millimetres (0.04–0.2 in) wide, elliptic or egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base and have between 5 and 7 veins visible on the lower surface. [1]

The flowers are orange-coloured, on the ends of the previous year's wood and occur singly or rarely, two together. There are 5 sepals which are densely hairy on the outside surface and 5 petals 4–6 millimetres (0.16–0.24 in) long. The stamens, which give the flower its colour, are arranged in 5 bundles, each containing 16 to 36 stamens. Flowering occurs from July to November and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules. The capsules are 6.9–8 millimetres (0.27–0.31 in) long, more or less cup-shaped, rough and lumpy with the remains of the sepals giving a star-like appearance to the end. [1] It can be distinguished from other eremaeas by the rough fruits and the presence of 5 or more veins on the leaves.

Taxonomy and naming

Eremaea asterocarpa was first formally described in 1993 by Roger Hnatiuk in Nuytsia. [1] [2] The specific epithet (asterocarpa) is from the Ancient Greek ἀστήρ (astḗr) meaning "a star" [3] :748 and καρπός (karpós) meaning "fruit", [3] :356 referring to the star-like pattern on the end of the fruit. [1]

There are three subspecies of Eremaea asterocarpa:

Distribution and habitat

Eremaea asterocarpa is found in near-coastal areas of the south-west in the Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions. [7] It grows in sand over laterite. [8]

Conservation

Eremaea asterocarpa is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [7]

Related Research Articles

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

Eremaea is a genus of woody shrubs and small trees in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Little study of the genus as a whole had been undertaken until Roger Hnatiuk researched Eremaea and published a paper in 1993, A revision of the genus Eremaea (Myrtaceae) in Nuytsia. The first species to be described was Eremaea pauciflora in 1837 and by 1964, the number of species known had increased to 12. Hnatiuk recognised 16 species, 5 subspecies and a number of varieties.

<i>Eremaea pauciflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea pauciflora is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with small leaves and orange flowers at the ends of its branches. It has the most widespread distribution of the eremaeas with considerable variation in its characteristics so that three varieties are recognised. It was the first Eremaea to be described formally but was not originally given the name Eremaea.

<i>Eremaea fimbriata</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea fimbriata is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with small leaves and single purple flowers on the ends of the branches. The fruits are woody, urn-shaped with a small opening at the top. Unlike other eremaeas which remain dormant during winter, Eremaea fimbriata begins the new year's growth in July or August.

<i>Melaleuca lateriflora</i>

Melaleuca lateriflora, commonly known as gorada, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually an erect shrub with oval leaves and small clusters of white flowers mainly along the older branches.

Calothamnus formosus is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a large, spreading, densely foliaged shrub with almost cylindrical, pointed leaves and red flowers in spring or summer. There are two subspecies, differing mainly in the length of their leaves.

Calothamnus roseus is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with needle-shaped, prickly leaves and pink flowers with four stamen bundles.

<i>Eremaea acutifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea acutifolia, commonly known as rusty eremaea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with needle-like leaves and which bears orange-coloured flowers on short side branches and fruits with a surface that is rough to the touch.

Eremaea atala is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with small, soft, non-prickly leaves, and purple flowers in late spring or summer. Flowers appear in groups of up to five usually on the ends of branches formed in the same year's growth.

<i>Eremaea beaufortioides</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea beaufortioides is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with oval to egg-shaped leaves, and orange flowers in spring. Flowers appear in groups of one to six on the ends of long branches formed in the previous year.

<i>Eremaea blackwelliana</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea blackwelliana is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with soft, pointed, non-prickly leaves, orange flowers in spring and cup shaped to almost spherical woody fruits. Flowers appear singly on the ends of short side branches formed in the previous year.

<i>Eremaea brevifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea brevifolia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, compact to spreading shrub with small, crowded leaves and orange-coloured flowers in early spring, followed by fruits with a rough outer surface.

Eremaea × codonocarpa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is thought to be a stabilised hybrid between two subspecies of Eremaea. It is a small shrub with triangular leaves and flowers a shade of pink to purple on the ends of the branches.

Eremaea dendroidea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small tree with small leaves and orange-coloured flowers on the ends of the branches in September. It has the most northerly distribution of all the eremaeas.

<i>Eremaea ebracteata</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea ebracteata is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow, mostly linear leaves and which bears orange-coloured flowers on the long branches of the same season's growth. The fruits have a surface that is rough and lumpy.

<i>Eremaea ectadioclada</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea ectadioclada is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with small leaves, and orange-coloured flowers on the ends of the long branches which grew in the previous year.

Eremaea hadra is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with thin, flat and very prickly leaves. It has violet-coloured flowers on the ends of its branches in late spring followed by smooth, cup-shaped fruits.

Eremaea × phoenicea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is thought to be a stabilised hybrid between two subspecies of Eremaea. It is an erect to spreading shrub with pointed, elliptic leaves and small groups of flowers, a shade of pink to red, on the ends of the branches.

<i>Eremaea purpurea</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea purpurea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with erect branches, small leaves and purple flowers in pairs on the ends of the branches. The fruits are woody, cup-shaped capsules which release their seeds when dry.

<i>Eremaea violacea</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea violacea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is low, spreading shrub with narrow, prickly leaves and which bears violet-coloured flowers on short side branches.

<i>Kunzea similis</i>

Kunzea similis is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area along the south coast of Western Australia. It is a shrub with linear to lance-shaped leaves with a single vein, and spherical groups of between four and ten pink flowers on the ends of shoots.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hnatiuk, Roger J. (1998). "A revision of the genus Eremaea (Myrtaceae)" (PDF). Nuytsia. 9 (2): 208–218. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  2. ↑ "Eremaea asterocarpa". APNI. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  4. ↑ "Eremaea.asterocarpa subsp asterocarpa". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  5. ↑ "Eremaea.asterocarpa subsp histoclada". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  6. ↑ "Eremaea.asterocarpa subsp brachyclada". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  7. 1 2 "Eremaea asterocarpa". FloraBase. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  8. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 362. ISBN   0646402439.

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