Kunzea similis

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Kunzea similis
Kunzea similis.jpg
Flowers and leaves of Kunzea similis
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Kunzea
Species:
K. similis
Binomial name
Kunzea similis

Kunzea similis is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area along the south coast of Western Australia. It is a shrub with linear to lance-shaped leaves with a single vein, and spherical groups of between four and ten pink flowers on the ends of shoots.

Contents

habit on East Mount Barren Kunzea similis habit.jpg
habit on East Mount Barren

Description

Kunzea similis is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.5–3 m (1 ft 8 in–9 ft 10 in) and has several main stems with few branches. Young branches are densely covered with silky hairs. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and 1.4–2.8 mm (0.055–0.110 in) long on a petiole about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long. It differs from K. capitata in having leaves with a single vein. The flowers are arranged in more or less spherical groups of between four and ten flowers on the ends of the shoots. There are lance-shaped to egg-shaped bracts and pairs of bracteoles at the base of the flowers. The sepals are triangular, 1–1.3 mm (0.039–0.051 in) long and densely covered with silky hairs. The petals are pink, spatula-shaped to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base and 3–3.5 mm (0.12–0.14 in) long. There are between 32 and 44 stamens that are 5.6–6.4 mm (0.22–0.25 in) long. Flowering occurs from September to November and the fruit is an urn-shaped capsule. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Kunzea similis was first formally described in 1996 by Hellmut R. Toelken and the description was published in Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden . [2] [4] The specific epithet (similis) is a Latin word meaning "like". [5]

Two subspecies were described in 2007 by Toelken and Gillian Craig and are accepted by the Australian Plant Census: [6]

Distribution and habitat

Subspecies similis occurs in the Fitzgerald River National Park near Hopetoun, where it grows in sparse, low heath. Subspecies mediterranea is found in a small area to the east of Ravensthorpe growing on a ridge top in open mallee and dense heath. [6]

Conservation status

Both subspecies of K. similis are classified as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia). [3] Subspecies similis is listed as "critically endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 . The main threat to the subspecies is the fungal disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi . [10]

Related Research Articles

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Kunzea glabrescens, commonly known as spearwood, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a large shrub with leaves and flowers similar to those of K. ericifolia but has differently shaped bracteoles. It is often common in wet areas around Perth.

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

Kunzea jucunda is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia where it occurs on sandy or rocky soils of undulating plains. It is similar to Kunzea affinis and where the ranges of the two species overlap, hybrids occur.

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 acuminata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia where it has a restricted distribution. It is a shrub with a few spindly branches, silky leaves and spherical groups of pink flowers on the ends of the branches.

Kunzea affinis is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with many branches, small, crowded leaves and pink, five-petalled flowers in early spring.

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

Kunzea ciliata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub which typically grows to a height of 0.8 to 1.5 metres and blooms between October and November producing pink flowers.

Kunzea cincinnata 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 which typically grows to a height of 0.6 to 1 metre and blooms between September and October producing pink to red-purple flowers.

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

Kunzea clavata, commonly known as the Torbay spearwood, 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 or tree, typically with many branches and grows to a height of 2.5 to 4 metres. It blooms between September and October producing yellow flowers.

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

Kunzea micrantha is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It blooms between September and December producing pink-purple to white-cream flowers. A widespread and variable species, it is difficult to distinguish from K. praestans and from K. micromera where their range overlap.

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

Kunzea newbeyi is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area along the south coast of Western Australia. It is a robust shrub with small leaves and groups of about twenty to thirty pink flowers in October and November.

<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 pauciflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Kunzea pauciflora, the Mount Melville kunzea, is a species of 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 the stems densely branched near their ends, linear leaves and one, two or three pink flowers near the ends of the branches but usually only at the top of the shrub.

Kunzea praestans is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with sessile leaves and groups of about fourteen to twenty pink flowers in more or less spherical groups on the end of the branches.

<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.

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

Kunzea spathulata is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south west of Western Australia. It is a tall shrub with erect, much-branched stems, linear leaves and more or less spherical groups of yellow or yellowish green flowers.

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.

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.

Kunzea sericothrix is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a small shrub with linear to lance-shaped leaves. It is only known from a single collection, and the details of its flowers are provisional.

References

  1. "Kunzea similis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  2. 1 2 Toelken, Hellmut R. (1996). "A revision of the genus Kunzea (Myrtaceae) I. The western Australian section Zeanuk" (PDF). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. 17: 86–88. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Kunzea similis". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  4. "Kunzea similis". APNI. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  5. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 482.
  6. 1 2 Toelken, Hellmut R.; Craig, Gillian F. (2007). "Kunzea acicularis, K. strigosa and K. similis subsp. mediterranea (Myrtaceae) - new taxa from near Ravensthorpe, Western Australia" (PDF). Nuytsia. 17 (1): 389–390. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  7. "Kunzea similis subsp. mediterranea". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  8. "Kunzea similis subsp. mediterranea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  9. "Kunzea similis subsp. similis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  10. "Conservation Advice Kunzea similis subsp. similis" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 20 April 2019.