Isotoma axillaris

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Isotoma axillaris
Isotoma axillaris0.jpg
Isotoma axillaris fruitPB160015.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Campanulaceae
Genus: Isotoma
Species:
I. axillaris
Binomial name
Isotoma axillaris
Synonyms

Laurentia axillaris, Solenopsis axillaris [2]

Isotoma axillaris, commonly known as rock isotome or showy isotome, [3] is a small herbaceous perennial in the family Campanulaceae. It usually has blue or mauve star-shaped flowers from September to May. It may also be called blue star, star flower, or laurentia. [2]

Contents

Description

Isotoma axillaris is an upright perennial herb growing to 50 cm high with ascending stems that are often a purplish colour and covered with short, soft hairs quickly becoming smooth. The leaves are about 1.5–15 cm (0.59–5.91 in) long and 0.5–5 mm (0.020–0.197 in) wide with deep, toothed, linear lobes sharply pointed at the apex. The single blue to mauve, rarely white or pink flowers appear in the leaf axils. The flower throat is occasionally white, greenish or a yellow colour. The five flower lobes are joined to the 15–35 mm (0.59–1.38 in) long flower tube on a peduncle 3–17 cm (1.2–6.7 in) long. The lobes are elliptic to oblong shaped, 8–18 mm (0.31–0.71 in) long, but are not joined and form a star-shaped flower. The seed capsule 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long. Flowering occurs between September and May in the species native range. [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

Isotoma axillaris was first formally described by botanist John Lindley in 1826 in Edward's Botanical Register . [6] [7] The genus name Isotoma is from the Greek isos meaning "equal" or "like" [8] :306 and tomos meaning "a part". [8] :156 The specific epithet axillaris is a Latin word meaning "of an axil", [8] with reference to the flowers borne in the leaf axils. [4]

Distribution and habitat

Showy isotoma occurs in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, often in moist crevices on rocky outcrops. [4]

Garden use

I. axillaris is grown as a garden plant. It is winter hardy to about −1 °C (30 °F) (USDA Zone 10). In colder areas, it may be grown as an annual or overwintered indoors. [2]

Related Research Articles

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

Isotoma is a genus of annual and perennial herbs in the family Campanulaceae and are native to Australia and New Zealand.

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

Howittia is a genus of plant containing the single species, Howittia trilocularis, commonly known as blue howittia, and is endemic to Australia. It is a tall shrub found growing in shaded valleys and on rainforest edges, it has hairy leaves and single, purple flowers.

<i>Olearia erubescens</i> Species of plant

Olearia erubescens, commonly known as moth daisy-bush or pink-tip daisy-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a shrub with stiff, prickly leaves and white "daisy" flowers, growing up to 2 metres high.

<i>Olearia asterotricha</i> Species of shrub

Olearia asterotricha, commonly known as rough daisy-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. A tall shrub with white, mauve or blue daisy like flowers growing from the Blue Mountains in New South Wales to western Victoria, Australia.

<i>Prostanthera decussata</i> Species of plant

Prostanthera decussata, commonly known as dense mintbush, species of flowering plant that is endemic south-eastern Australia. It is a dense, compact, strongly aromatic shrub with egg-shaped leaves and mauve to violet flowers with yellow streaks, arranged in leaf axils near the ends of branchlets.

<i>Prostanthera hirtula</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera hirtula, commonly known as hairy mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-eastern continental Australia. It is a strongly aromatic, densely hairy, spreading shrub with narrow egg-shaped leaves and dark mauve flowers, and that grows in exposed, rocky sites.

Dasymalla axillaris, commonly known as native foxglove or woolly foxglove, is a flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, diffuse shrub with its branches, leaves and some of its flower parts densely covered with white, woolly hairs. The flowers are a shade of red and tube-shaped with the stamens and style extending beyond the end of the five petals.

<i>Isotoma fluviatilis</i> Species of plant

Isotoma fluviatilis, the swamp isotome or blue star creeper, is a small herbaceous perennial plant in the family Campanulaceae, native to Australia.

<i>Isotoma anethifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Isotoma anethifolia is a small herbaceous plant in the family Campanulaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It has single, mostly white flowers in the leaf axils and slender stems.

Kunzea axillaris is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is an erect shrub or tree with linear leaves and white flowers which are arranged singly in leaf axils. It is only known from the ranges on the north coast.

<i>Thelymitra alcockiae</i> Species of orchid

Thelymitra alcockiae, commonly called Kath's sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to southern continental Australia. It has a single long, narrow leaf and up to twelve pale blue to deep purplish blue flowers, mauve or reddish on their back side.

<i>Thelymitra malvina</i> Species of orchid

Thelymitra malvina, commonly called the mauve-tufted sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is native to eastern Australia and New Zealand. It has a single large, fleshy leaf and up to twenty five blue to mauve flowers with pink or mauve tufts on top of the anther.

<i>Thelymitra epipactoides</i> Species of orchid

Thelymitra epipactoides, commonly called the metallic sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has a single relatively large, leathery leaf and up to twenty large flowers that range in colour from pink to reddish but have a distinctive arrangement of lobes above the anther.

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Thelymitra atronitida, commonly called the black-hooded orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single erect, leathery, leaf and up to eight moderately dark blue, self-pollinating flowers that only open on hot days.

<i>Thelymitra glaucophylla</i> Species of orchid

Thelymitra glaucophylla is a species of orchid that is endemic to South Australia. It has a single erect, channelled, pale green leaf and up to fifteen pale blue, mauve or white flowers with an inflated, greyish lobe on top of the anther.

<i>Veronica gracilis</i> species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica gracilis is a plant belonging to the family Plantaginaceae, commonly known as slender speedwell. It is a perennial herb with slender branches, variable shaped leaves and small lilac flowers in spring and summer.

<i>Brachyscome dentata</i> Species of flowering plant

Brachyscome dentata, commonly known as lobe-seed daisy, is a tufted perennial herb in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to Australia. It has mostly white or mauve daisy-like flowers, a yellow centre and pale green leaves. It is endemic to Australia.

<i>Prostanthera sejuncta</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera sejuncta is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is a scrambling, more or less prostrate, aromatic shrub with spiny branches, narrow egg-shaped leaves and pale mauve, pale lilac or almost white flowers.

<i>Dampiera rosmarinifolia</i> Species of plant

Dampiera rosmarinifolia, commonly known as rosemary dampiera, is a flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae.It is a perennial subshrub with linear leaves, mauve or purple flowers borne in leaf axils.

References

  1. "Isotoma axillaris". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Missouri Botanical Garden plantfinder, Isotoma axillaris
  3. "Isotoma axillaris Lindl. Showy Isotome". Flora of Victoria. Royal Botanic Garden Victoria. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Isotoma axillaris". Growing Native Plants. Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  5. Fairley, Alan; Moore, Philip (2010). Native Plants of the Sydney Region. Jacana Books. ISBN   978-1-74175-571-8.
  6. "Isotoma axillaris". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
  7. "Isotoma axillaris". Biodiversity Heritage Library. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 Brown, Roland (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington D.C: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 90.