Guichenotia ledifolia

Last updated

Guichenotia ledifolia
Guichenotia ledifolia.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Guichenotia
Species:
G. ledifolia
Binomial name
Guichenotia ledifolia
Habit near the entrance to the Fitzgerald River National Park Guichenotia ledifolia habit.jpg
Habit near the entrance to the Fitzgerald River National Park

Guichenotia ledifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a densely-branched shrub with densely hairy new growth, hairy, linear to oblong leaves and pink to mauve flowers arranged in groups of three to ten.

Contents

Description

Guichenotia ledifolia is a densely-branched shrub that typically grows to 0.5–2 m (1 ft 8 in – 6 ft 7 in) high and 1.0–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) wide, its new growth densely covered with white, star-shaped hairs. The leaves are linear to oblong, 15–60 mm (0.59–2.36 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) wide on a short petiole with leaf-like stipules 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long at the base. The edges of the leaves are rolled under, and both surfaces of the leaves are densely covered with star-shaped hairs. The flowers are borne in cymes of three to ten on a peduncle up to 30 mm (1.2 in) long, each flower on a pedicel up to 10 mm (0.39 in) long with bracts 5 mm (0.20 in) long but that fall off as the flowers open. The five pink to mauve, petal-like sepals are 6–14 mm (0.24–0.55 in) long and densely hairy, and there are tiny, deep red petals but no staminodes. Flowering occurs from July to November. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Guichenotia ledifolia was formally described in 1821 by Swiss-French botanist Jaques Étienne Gay in the journal Mémoires du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle. [5] [6] The specific epithet (ledifolia) means Ledum -leaved" or "broomlike". [7]

Distribution and habitat

Guichenotia ledifolia grows in heath, kwongan and woodland on coastal limestone, sandplains and granite rocks in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Hampton, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain and Yalgoo bioregions of south-western Western Australia. [2] [3] [4]

Conservation status

This species of guichenotia is listed as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. [3]

Ecology

In a 2015 study, researchers suggest that the plant is the favourite food of the quokka, an endemic marsupial in southwestern Australia. [8]

Use in horticulture

This species can be used as a feature plant or as a low screen, barrier or informal hedge in native landscapes. It attracts insects and birds. [9]

Related Research Articles

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

Guichenotia is a genus of 17 species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae that is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Plants in the genus Guichenotia are shrubs with simple, linear to oblong leaves with leaf-like stipules at the base of the petiole, the flowers bisexual with three bracteoles at the base of the sepals, and five petal-like sepals, the petals sometimes absent. The fruit is a capsule usually containing 15 seeds.

<i>Guichenotia macrantha</i> Species of flowering plant

Guichenotia macrantha, commonly known as large-flowered guichenotia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is a shrub with grey-green leaves, mauve flowers and is endemic to Western Australia.

<i>Lasiopetalum drummondii</i> Species of plant

Lasiopetalum drummondii is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, slender shrub with many densely hairy stems, egg-shaped or oblong leaves and white, pink and red flowers.

Olearia lehmanniana is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to inland areas of the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with scattered elliptic or linear leaves that are densely hairy on the lower surface, and pale mauve, daisy-like inflorescences.

<i>Guichenotia intermedia</i> Species of flowering plant

Guichenotia intermedia is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with hairy leaves and mauve-pink flowers.

<i>Thomasia foliosa</i> Species of shrub

Thomasia discolor is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a multi-stemmed shrub with densely hairy branchlets, coarsely serrated, egg-shaped leaves with a heart-shaped base, and many small pink, cream-coloured or white flowers.

<i>Guichenotia sarotes</i> Species of flowering plant

Guichenotia sarotes is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a spindly, low-growing shrub with densely hairy new growth, hairy, greyish, linear leaves and pink to purple flowers arranged in loose groups of two to six.

Thomasia tremandroides is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect or low, spreading shrub with many stems, flimsy, papery, egg-shaped leaves and racemes of papery, mauve to pink flowers.

Thomasia rulingioides is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with densely hairy new growth, narrowly oblong to narrowly egg-shaped leaves with wavy edges, and pink to purple flowers.

<i>Commersonia densiflora</i> Species of plant

Commersonia densiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a dense, low-growing shrub with pinnate, elliptic to narrowly oblong, prominently veined leaves, and white flowers in clusters of 100 or more.

<i>Androcalva gaudichaudii</i> Species of tree

Androcalva gaudichaudii is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the far west of Western Australia. It is a low, dense shrub that forms suckers and has broadly oval leaves with a heart-shaped base, and clusters of 2 to 11 white flowers.

Guichenotia alba is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a slender, spreading shrub with lax, hairy young branches, leaves with the edges rolled under, and white flowers.

<i>Guichenotia angustifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Guichenotia angustifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, prostrate or climbing shrub with hairy young growth, hairy, oblong to linear leaves and pink to mauve flowers.

Guichenotia anota is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to a restricted part of the southwest of Western Australia. It is a low, erect, compact shrub with hairy new growth, oblong to narrowly egg-shaped leaves, and pinkish-purple flowers.

<i>Guichenotia apetala</i> Species of flowering plant

Guichenotia apetala is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to a small area in the southwest of Western Australia. It is a small, erect, compact shrub with many branches, densely hairy new growth, triangular to heart-shaped leaves, and salmon pink flowers.

Guichenotia asteriskos is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a dwarf, spreading shrub with hairy new growth, linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves, and white flowers.

Guichenotia astropletha is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a dwarf, spreading shrub with hairy new growth, linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves, and pink flowers.

Guichenotia basiviridis is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the far west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with hairy new growth, linear leaves with the edges rolled under, and pink flowers arranged in groups of three to seven.

Guichenotia impudica is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading, dwarf shrub with hairy new growth, more or less linear leaves with the edges turned down, and pink flowers arranged in groups of six or seven.

<i>Guichenotia micrantha</i> Species of flowering plant

Guichenotia micrantha, commonly known as small flowered guichenotia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, compact shrub with linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves and pink flowers in groups of three to six.

References

  1. ↑ "Guichenotia ledifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 Blake, Trevor L. (2021). Lantern bushes of Australia ; Thomasias & allied genera : a field and horticultural guide. Victoria: Australian Plants Society, Keilor Plains Group. pp. 230–231. ISBN   9780646839301.
  3. 1 2 3 "Guichenotia ledifolia". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  4. 1 2 Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce (2009). Wildflowers of southern Western Australia (3rd ed.). Kenthurst, N.S.W.: Rosenberg Pub. p. 204. ISBN   9781877058844.
  5. ↑ "Guichenotia ledifolia". APNI. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  6. ↑ Gay, Jaques E. (1821). "Monographie des Cinq Genres de Plantes, Lasiopetalees". Mémoires du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle. 7: 449. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  7. ↑ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 237. ISBN   9780958034180.
  8. ↑ Poole, Holly L.; Mukaromah, Laily; Kobryn, Halina T.; Fleming, Patricia A. (2014). "Spatial analysis of limiting resources on an island: diet and shelter use reveal sites of conservation importance for the Rottnest Island quokka". Wildlife Research. 41 (6): 510–521. doi:10.1071/WR14083. S2CID   84805749.
  9. ↑ "Guichenotia ledifolia". Botanic Gardens of South Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.