Kunzea baxteri

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Scarlet kunzea
Kunzea baxteri.jpg
Kunzea baxteri in Maranoa Gardens
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Kunzea
Species:
K. baxteri
Binomial name
Kunzea baxteri
Synonyms

Pentagonaster baxteriKlotzsch

Kunzea baxteri, commonly known as scarlet kunzea, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia where it occurs near granite outcrops and hills. It is a shrub with large, scarlet, bottlebrush-like flower clusters, making it popular as a garden feature.

Contents

On Condingup Peak Kunzea baxteri habit.jpg
On Condingup Peak

Description

Kunzea baxteri is a spreading shrub which usually grows to a height of between 1 and 3 m (3 and 10 ft) and has branches which are more or less hairy. The leaves are arranged alternately on a petiole 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) long and have a leaf blade that is usually 14–18 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long, 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.14 in) wide and oblong to elliptic in shape with hairs along the edges. [2] [3] [4]

The flowers are arranged in large, profuse, conspicuous, bottlebrush-like clusters, up to 10 cm (4 in) long and 6 cm (2 in) wide. The clusters usually contain between 16 and 30 flowers on the ends of branches which continue to grow during the flowering period. There are leaf-like bracts 5–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long, 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide at the base of the flowers which fall off as the flowers open. The hypanthium is 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and hairy on the outside. There are five hairy, linear to lance-shaped sepals 4.5–6 mm (0.18–0.24 in) long which remain on the maturing fruit. The five petals are deep red, round to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base and 3.5–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. There are between 40 and 50 bright red stamens 19–24 mm (0.7–0.9 in) long around each flower, the stamens four or five times as long as the petals. Flowering is most prolific from July to September but often occurs as late as March, depending on rainfall. The fruit is a cup-shaped or urn-shaped capsule 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long with the erect sepals attached. The fruit release the seeds when mature, unlike many others in the Myrtaceae. The features of this species that distinguish it from others in the Myrtaceae are the red flowers, persistent sepals and deciduous fruit. The oblong leaves and narrow sepals distinguish it from Kunzea pulchella which also has red flowers. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described in 1836 by Johann Klotzsch, who gave it the name Pentagonaster baxteri and published the description in Allgemeine Gartenzeitung . [5] [6] In 1844, Johannes Conrad Schauer revised the name to Kunzea baxteri. [1] The specific epithet (baxteri) honours William Baxter, an English gardener who collected seeds and plants for British nurserymen. [4] [7]

Distribution and habitat

Kunzea baxteri grows in coarse sandy soil or laterite, often near granite outcrops in heath, scrub or woodland. It is found from the coast to areas up to about 100 km (60 mi) inland in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions. [2] [3] [8]

Ecology

Scarlet kunzea is pollinated by honeyeaters and mammals which are attracted to its large red flowers. [2] [3] [9]

Conservation

Kunzea baxteri is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [8]

Use in horticulture

This kunzea has been grown in gardens for many years. It is best suited to a climate with dry summers and wet winters. It is, however, adaptable to more humid areas and those with moderate frosts but requires a sunny or partly-shaded area with well-drained soil. In has been grown from cuttings on Kunzea ambigua rootstock. [4] [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Kunzea pomifera</i> Species of plant

Kunzea pomifera, commonly known as muntries, emu apples, native cranberries, munthari, muntaberry or monterry, is a low-growing or prostrate shrub with hairy stems, small, mostly egg-shaped leaves, groups of white flowers on the ends of the branches and fleshy, more or less spherical, edible fruit.

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

Kunzea salina is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading, densely branched shrub with leaves mostly arranged in opposite pairs and usually two sessile pale pink to white flowers arranged at the base of new shoots. It only grows near the edge of certain salt lakes.

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

Kunzea pulchella, commonly known as granite kunzea, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with spreading branches, egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves and loose groups of red flowers, each on a short stalk so that the branch is visible between the flowers.

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

Kunzea parvifolia, commonly known as the violet kunzea, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a wiry shrub with small, narrow leaves and clusters of pink to purple flowers in spring.

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

Kunzea muelleri, commonly known as yellow kunzea, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to mountainous areas of south-eastern Australia. It is a low-growing, spreading shrub with linear leaves and small groups of pale yellow, stalkless flowers that appear in the summer.

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.

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 preissiana</i> Species of shrub

Kunzea preissiana is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a shrub with hairy branches and leaves, pink to mauve flowers in groups on the ends of shoots, and twenty to thirty stamens about the same length as the petals. It is a widespread, often locally common species across its range.

Kunzea aristulata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is an erect, spreading shrub similar to Kunzea rupestris but is distinguished from it mainly by the shape of its leaves. It is only known from a remote area north of Yerranderie where it often grows on cliff edges.

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>Kunzea obovata</i> Species of shrub

Kunzea obovata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a spreading shrub with unusually-shaped leaves and clusters of pink to purple flowers. It is restricted to northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland.

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

Kunzea badjaensis is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is a shrub with egg-shaped leaves and clusters of white flowers near the end of the branches. It grows at high altitudes on the Southern Tablelands.

Kunzea calida is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Queensland, Australia. It is a spreading shrub which has linear to lance-shaped leaves but which are rolled, making them appear cylindrical. The flowers are pinkish-purple and arranged in groups near the ends of the branches in September. It is only known in remote and rugged areas of the Mount Stewart Ranges near Homestead.

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

Kunzea cambagei, commonly known as the Cambage kunzea is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is a small shrub with egg-shaped leaves and clusters of cream-coloured to yellowish flowers near the end of the branches. It is only known from areas near Mount Werong in the Kanangra-Boyd National Park and Berrima.

Kunzea dactylota is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is a spreading shrub with small, finger-shaped leaves and clusters of white flowers near the end of the branches. It grows at high altitudes on the Southern Tablelands of the state.

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

Kunzea flavescens is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a spreading shrub which has egg-shaped leaves and groups of white or cream-coloured flowers on the ends of the branches in September and October.

Kunzea juniperoides is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is a small shrub with narrow leaves and small groups of white flowers near the end of the longer branches. It is distinguished from similar kunzeas by the large number of scale-like perules and bracts surrounding the groups of flowers.

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

Kunzea occidentalis is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a western New South Wales. It is a shrub with narrow leaves and small groups of white flowers on leafy side-branches. It is distinguished from the similar Kunzea ambigua by the flanges on the sides of its young branches.

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

Kunzea opposita is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a spindly shrub which has small leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and pink flowers with five petals and many stamens, the stamens much longer than the petals. It usually grows in woodland or on exposed cliffs.

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 baxteri". APNI. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Toelken, Helmut R. (2016). "Revision of Kunzea (Myrtaceae). 2. Subgenera Angasomyrtus and Salisia (section Salisia) from Western Australia and subgenera Kunzea and Niviferae (sections Platyphyllae and Pallidiflorae) from eastern Australia" (PDF). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. 29: 82–85.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Archer, William. "Kunzea baxteri". Esperance Wildflowers. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Kunzea baxteri". Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "Pentagonaster baxteri". APNI. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  6. ↑ Klotsch, Johann Friedrich (1836). "Pentanogaster - a new plant genus..." Allgemeine Gartenzeitung. 4 (15): 115. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  7. ↑ George, Alex. "Baxter, William (? - 1836)". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  8. 1 2 "Kunzea baxteri". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  9. ↑ Nikulinsky, P.; Hopper, S.D. (2008). Life on the rocks : the art of survival (Revised ed.). Fremantle Press. p. 68. ISBN   9781921361289.
  10. ↑ Wrigley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (1983). Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping (2nd ed.). Sydney: Collins. p. 250. ISBN   0002165759.
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