Kunzea acicularis

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Kunzea acicularis
Status DECF R.svg
Declared rare  (DEC)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Kunzea
Species:
K. acicularis
Binomial name
Kunzea acicularis
Toelken & G.F.Craig [1]

Kunzea acicularis is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with a few erect stems, small and groups of three to five, pink to mauve flowers. It is a rare, recently described species only known from a small area near Ravensthorpe.

Contents

Description

Kunzea acicularis is a shrub which grows to a height of up to 2 m (7 ft), with a few erect, irregularly-branched stems which are covered with fine hairs when young. The leaves are egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, densely hairy, 3.5–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long, about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide, with a stalk less than 1 mm (0.04 in) long. [2] [3]

Three to five pink to mauve flowers are arranged in groups on the ends of branches. The flowers are surrounded by hairy, narrow triangular bracts and bracteoles about 3 mm (0.1 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. The sepals are about 2 mm (0.08 in) long and hairy and the five petals are 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and almost round. There are about 26 stamens which are usually longer than the petals and a style 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) long. Flowering occurs in October and November and is followed by fruit which are hairy urn-shaped capsules with the sepals attached.

Taxonomy and naming

This species was first formally described in 2007 by Hellmut Toelken and Gil Craig and the description was published in Nuytsia . [1] The specific epithet (acicularis) is a Latin word meaning "like a needle" [4] referring to the needle-like bracts. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This kunzea grows in mallee and heath on hills and slopes north-east of Ravensthorpe in the Esperance Plains biogeographic region. [5]

Conservation

Kunzea acicularis is classified as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife [5] and an interim recovery plan has been prepared. [3]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Kunzea ciliata</i> Species of shrub

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<i>Kunzea clavata</i> Species of flowering plant

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Kunzea eriocalyx is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area on the south coast of Western Australia. It is a shrub with spreading main stems with a few short side branches and which grows to a height of 0.5 to 1 metre. It blooms between August and October producing pink flowers.

<i>Kunzea newbeyi</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Kunzea rostrata</i> Species of flowering plant

Kunzea rostrata is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to an area along the south west coast of Western Australia. It is a shrub with small, mostly elliptic leaves and with groups of between mostly eleven and fifteen rose pink flowers mainly on the ends of branches that continue to grow after flowering.

<i>Kunzea similis</i> Species of flowering plant

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

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<i>Kunzea preissiana</i> Species of shrub

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<i>Kunzea spathulata</i> Species of flowering plant

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Kunzea petrophila is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the Northern Territory. It is a spreading shrub with hairy branches and leaves, narrow leaves and cream-coloured flowers in more or less spherical groups usually on the ends of the main branches.

References

  1. 1 2 "Kunzea acicularis". APNI. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 Toelken, Hellmut R.; Craig, Gil F. (2007). "Kunzea acicularis, K. strigosa and K. similis subsp. mediterranea (Myrtaceae) – new taxa from near Ravensthorpe, Western Australia". Nuytsia. 17: 392–393.
  3. 1 2 Luu, Robyn; Brown, Andrew. "(Kunzea acicularis) Interim Recovery Plan" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  4. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 553.
  5. 1 2 "Kunzea acicularis". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.