Lechenaultia | |
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Lechenaultia biloba in Kings Park, Perth | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Goodeniaceae |
Genus: | Lechenaultia R.Br. [1] |
Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Lechenaultia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Goodeniaceae, the species native to Australia with one species ( L. filiformis ) also occurring in New Guinea. Plants in the genus Lechenaultia are glabrous shrubs or herbs with needle-shaped leaves, more or less sessile flowers with five sepals and five blue, white, or yellow and red petals in two unequal lobes, the fruit an elongated capsule.
Plants in the genus Lechenaultia are glabrous shrubs or herbs with spreading branches, linear or cylindrical leaves, the leaves sometimes reduced to scales. The flowers are more or less sessile with five sepals that are free from each other, and five glabrous blue, white or yellow and red petals. The petals are glabrous, the two at the back of the flower shorter with narrow wings near the tip, and the lower three longer with broad wings. The fruit is a cylindrical capsule with four valves. [2] [3] [4]
The genus Lechenaultia was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen . [5] [6] The genus name honours Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour, the botanist attached to the Baudin expedition to Australia. [7] Brown had met Leschenault and assumed to spell his name the French way without the 's', however, George Bentham introduced the German spelling with the 's' and subsequent writers followed suit as the name was written Leschenaultia, but reverted to Robert Brown's spelling in the 1950s. [8]
The type species is Lechenaultia formosa . [8]
The majority of Lechenaultia species occur in the south-west of Western Australia and most of these occur in shrubland. Lechenaultia biloba grows in forests, and inland species occur in open grassland or woodland. All species grow in well-drained, sandy soil, apart from L. expansa that grows in permanently wet soil. [9]
Charles Darwin studied fertilisation in Lechenaultia and suggested that the upper anther "has been converted into a short broad strap" preventing the stigma from receiving pollen from the fertile anthers of the same flower, thus preventing self-fertilisation. [10]
The following is a list of Lechenaultia species accepted by the Australian Plant Census as at January 2022: [11]
In 2021, Russell Lindsay Barrett and Richard W. Jobson described L. peregrina , a new species from northern Australia, New Guinea and the Moluccas, but as of January 2022, the name has not yet been accepted by the Australian Plant Census. [12]
Scaevola is a genus of flowering plants in the Goodenia family, Goodeniaceae. It consists of more than 130 species, with the center of diversity being Australia and Polynesia. There are around 80 species in Australia, occurring throughout the continent, in a variety of habitats. Diversity is highest in the South West, where around 40 species are endemic.
Leucopogon is a genus of about 150-160 species of shrubs or small trees in the family Ericaceae, in the section of that family formerly treated as the separate family Epacridaceae. They are native to Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, the western Pacific Islands and Malaysia, with the greatest species diversity in southeastern Australia. Plants in this genus have leaves with a few more or less parallel veins, and tube-shaped flowers usually with a white beard inside.
Baeckea is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, all but one endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Baeckea are shrubs or small trees with leaves arranged in opposite pairs, white to deep pink flowers with five sepals and five petals, and five to fifteen stamens that are shorter than the petals.
Dampiera is a genus of about 70 species of flowering plants in the family Goodeniaceae, all of which are endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Dampiera are subshrubs or herbs with sessile leaves, flowers with five small sepals and blue, violet or pink, rarely white, two-lipped flowers.
Jacksonia is a genus of about forty, mostly leafless broom-like shrubs or small trees in the flowering plant family Fabaceae. The genus is endemic to Australia and species occur in a range of habitats in all Australian states except South Australia.
Bossiaea is a genus of about 78 species of flowering plants in the pea family Fabaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in this genus often have stems and branches modified as cladodes, simple, often much reduced leaves, flowers with the upper two sepal lobes larger than the lower three, usually orange to yellow petals with reddish markings, and the fruit a more or less flattened pod.
Lechenaultia biloba, commonly known as blue leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a glabrous herb or subshrub with spreading branches, almost no leaves, and yellow, tube-shaped flowers.
Styphelia is a genus of shrubs in the family Ericaceae, native from Indo-China through the Pacific to Australia. Most have minute or small leaves with a sharp tip, single, tube-shaped flowers arranged in leaf axils and with the ends of the petals rolled back with hairs in the inside of the tube.
Lechenaultia macrantha, commonly known as wreath leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to inland areas of south-western Western Australia. It is a low-lying, wreath-like herb or subshrub with narrow, rather fleshy leaves, and yellow petals with deep pink or red wings.
Lechenaultia tubiflora, commonly known as heath leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a hemispherical subshrub or more or less erect perennial with crowded, narrow, rigid leaves and variably-coloured, tube-shaped flowers.
Lechenaultia acutiloba, commonly known as wingless leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a dome-shaped shrub with crowded, linear leaves and many tube-shaped, pale greenish-yellow flowers with blue tips.
Lechenaultia aphylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to arid parts of inland Australia. It is a glabrous herb or subshrub with spreading branches, almost no leaves, and yellow, tube-shaped flowers.
Lechenaultia chlorantha, commonly known as Kalbarri leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to a restricted area near Kalbarri in Western Australia. It is a subshrub or shrub with many branches, crowded, narrow, fleshy leaves and pale bluish-green, tube-shaped flowers.
Lechenaultia expansa is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate to erect subshrub with wand-like branches, crowded, narrow, fleshy leaves and pale purple-blue, tube-shaped flowers.
Lechenaultia galactites, commonly known as white leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, robust subshrub or shrub with crowded, narrowly oblong to egg-shaped leaves, and white to pale blue flowers.
Lechenaultia longiloba, commonly named Irwin leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a straggling, low-lying herb or subshrub with narrow, rather fleshy leaves, and pale yellow or green petals with deep pink or red wings.
Lechenaultia lutescens is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to inland central Australia. It is a wand-shaped, ascending herb or subshrub with rigid, narrow leaves, and orange-yellow to pale yellow or creamy-white flowers.
Lechenaultia magnifica, commonly known as magnificent leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, perennial herb or subshrub with crowded, linear to narrowly lance-shaped leaves, and pink to mauve or purple flowers.
Lechenaultia ovata is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the Northern Territory. It is a perennial herb with rather fleshy, egg-shaped leaves, and white flowers.
Lechenaultia papillata is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to inland areas of south-western Western Australia. It is a diffuse, ascending shrub or subshrub with papillate, crowded, slightly fleshy leaves, and pale blue flowers.