Hydrocotyle phoenix

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Fire pennywort
Hydrocotyle phoenix - floral morphology.jpg
Closeup photo of flowers and leaves. The scale bar is 5mm.
Status DECF P2.svg
Priority Two — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Araliaceae
Genus: Hydrocotyle
Species:
H. phoenix
Binomial name
Hydrocotyle phoenix
A.J.Perkins

Hydrocotyle phoenix is a species of annual pennywort and is commonly called fire pennywort. It is only known to grow in south-west Australia, specifically in fire prone habitats; it is unique in this regard as it is the only species of Hydrocotyle known to have a fire adapted life-history. [1] The specific epiphet "phoenix" references this fire adapted life history as in Greek mythology, a phoenix experiences rebirth by rising from ashes, much like how this plant rises from the ashes after a wildfire.

Contents

Description

A. Habitat B. Umbel of flowers C. Fruiting umbel D. Typical leaf E. Habitat of fertile plants Hydrocotyle phoenix.jpg
A. Habitat B. Umbel of flowers C. Fruiting umbel D. Typical leaf E. Habitat of fertile plants

Hydrocotyle phoenix is a low growing annual herb which grows 4–15 centimeters (1.6–5.9 in) tall and up to 100 centimeters (39 in) wide with a sprawling habit. The leaves grow from a basal rosette. The leaves are palmately lobed and 5-20 mm long by 7-26 mm wide and covered in small hairs. The flowers are borne in a compact umbel with about 10-20 flowers. The flowers themselves are small, only 4-6 mm wide, and white. The flowers have only 5 white petals and lack a calyx. The fruits are schizocarps about 1 mm in size. [1]

Atypically for this group of plants, H. phoenix is a fire-ephemeral plant, meaning that it forms a soil seed bank in the soil and its germination is triggered by wildfire. [1] It will typically not grow unless prompted by a wildfire. Like many plants from Australia, its life cycle requires fire.

Hydrocotyle phoenix was discovered in 2015. It is most morphologically most similar to Hydrocotyle hispidula , Hydrocotyle blepharocarpa , and Hydrocotyle geraniifolia . [1] Its evolutionary position within Hydrocotyle has not yet been determined.

Range

Hydrocotyle phoenix is only known from Karri Forest within D'Entrecasteaux National Park in Western Australia. The plant is locally abundant, but due to having a very small range, it is currently listed as Priority 2 [2] as not enough data exists to ascribe it a conservation code.

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Eucalyptus luculenta is a species of mallee that is endemic to a small area on the south coast of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, pale yellow to white flowers and cup-shaped, barrel-shaped or cylindrical fruit.

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<i>Corymbia cadophora</i> Species of plant

Corymbia cadophora, commonly known as the twinleaf bloodwood, is a species of small, straggly tree that is endemic to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It has rough bark on the trunk and branches, a crown of sessile, egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaves joined in opposite pairs, flower buds mostly arranged in groups of seven, creamy white to pink or red flowers and urn-shaped to barrel-shaped fruit.

Corymbia paractia, commonly known as the Cable Beach ghost gum, is a species of low-growing tree that is endemic to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It has smooth white to pale grey bark, sometimes with rough bark near the base of the trunk, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three or seven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped, barrel-shaped or cylindrical fruit.

<i>Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Eucalyptus ceracea</i> Species of eucalyptus

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Eucalyptus costuligera is a species of small tree that is endemic to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It has short-fibrous or flaky bark on the trunk and branches, bluish, lance-shaped adult leaves, club-shaped flower buds in branched or unbranched inflorescences with the buds in groups of up to seven, creamy-white flowers and conical, cup-shaped or pear-shaped fruit.

Leptospermum macgillivrayi is a species of small, widely-branching shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has hard, knobbly bark, broadly egg-shaped leaves, flowers arranged singly on short side shoots and small fruit that fall from the plant at maturity. It is only known from two locations in the inland of the state.

<i>Goodenia berringbinensis</i> Species of plant

Goodenia berringbinensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an annual herb with lance-shaped leaves mostly at the base of the plant, and loose thyrses of yellow flowers.

Goodenia lyrata is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to inland areas of Western Australia. It is a prostrate herb with densely hairy, lyrate leaves at the base of the plant, smaller leaves on the stem and racemes of yellow flowers.

Goodenia wilunensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to central regions of Western Australia. It is an ascending to prostrate annual herb covered with silky hairs and has elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and racemes of yellow flowers with purplish markings.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Perkins, Andrew J. (2017). "Rising from the ashes - Hydrocotyle phoenix (Araliaceae), a new annual species from south-western Australia". Telopea . 20: 41–47. doi: 10.7751/telopea11313 . Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  2. Western Australian Herbarium, Biodiversity and Conservation Science. "FloraBase—the Western Australian Flora". florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 29 November 2020.