Blue leschenaultia | |
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Cultivated specimen of Lechenaultia biloba | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Goodeniaceae |
Genus: | Lechenaultia |
Species: | L. biloba |
Binomial name | |
Lechenaultia biloba | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Lechenaultia biloba, commonly known as blue leschenaultia, [2] 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.
Lechenaultia biloba grows as a spreading shrub typically growing to a height of 100 cm (39 in), sometimes to 160 cm (63 in), and often forms suckers. The grey-green to green leaves are crowded, linear, 6–15 mm (0.24–0.59 in) long, about 1 mm (0.039 in) wide and fleshy. The flowers are arranged in compact clusters, the sepals 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) long and the petals dark blue to light blue or cream-coloured, the range of colours sometimes appearing in a single population of plants. (Cream-coloured forms are found on the western sandplains). The petal wings are triangular to lobed and 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) wide. Flowering takes place from July to December and the fruit is usually 23–25 mm (0.91–0.98 in) long. [2] [3] [4]
Lechenaultia biloba was first formally described in 1839 by John Lindley in A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony . [5] [6] No type specimen was originally recorded, but David Morrison in his 1987 paper on the genus selected a lectotype that was collected in 1839 by James Drummond in the Swan River Colony. [3] Augustin Pyramus de Candolle described L. grandiflora from a collection from the Vasse River, which was synonymised with L. biloba by George Bentham and subsequent authors. Lechenaultia biloba is the type species in the section Patentes in the genus. Its closest relatives (according to a cladogram based on morphological features) appear to be L. stenosepala , L. expansa and L. pulvinaris . [3] The specific epithet (biloba) refers to the two petal lobes of the flowers. [7] Blue lechenaultia is a very variable species. [3]
Lechenaultia biloba is found across a wide swathe of Western Australia, from the Geraldton sandplains south through to the southwestern corner of the state and east to Esperance. It grows on granite- or laterite soils, where it is found on hills or flat areas. [2]
The most familiar member of the genus, L. biloba is commonly grown in Australian gardens. [7] Renowned for its vivid blue flowers, it was first grown in the United Kingdom in the 1840s. Many cultivars were sold in the 1960s that are no longer available. It grows best in well-ventilated locations with very good drainage, otherwise it is prone to fungal disease, in particular grey mould ( Botrytis cinerea ) of the branches and soil-borne Phytophthora and Pythium , and is often short-lived, [4] lasting four to six years in a good location, or perishing within a year in a poor one. It is readily propagated by cuttings. [8]
Lechenaultia biloba is grown in rockeries or hanging baskets. [4]
Lechenaultia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Goodeniaceae, the species native to Australia with one species 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.
Lechenaultia linarioides, commonly named yellow leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas in the west of Western Australia. It is a sprawling subshrub with many tangled branches, narrow, crowded, rather fleshy leaves, and yellow and deep pink to purplish red flowers.
Melaleuca trichophylla is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Its pink or purple flowers appear from August to December in its native range. It has long been cultivated.
Thelymitra crinita, commonly known as the blue lady orchid, queen orchid or lily orchid, is a species of orchid which is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single broad, oval leaf and up to fifteen brilliant blue flowers with a blue column with the lobe on top of the anther covered with short, finger-like calli.
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.
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.
Verticordia densiflora, commonly known as compacted featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with small leaves, usually small pink and white flowers and which is widespread in the south-west of the state. It is a variable species and in his 1991 paper, Alex George formally described five varieties.
Verticordia densiflora var. stelluligera is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an openly branched shrub with small leaves and small clusters of yellowish or pink and cream flowers. It is one of 5 varieties of the species Verticordia densiflora.
Grevillea monticola is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading to erect shrub with toothed to pinnatifid leaves with sometimes branched clusters of pale cream-coloured to yellowish-cream flowers.
Conothamnus trinervis is a plant species in the family Myrtaceae endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with thick, stiff stems, leaves with a sharp point on the tip and heads of usually cream-coloured flowers.
Conostephium minus, common name pink-tipped pearl flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with linear leaves and white and purplish-pink flowers.
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 floribunda, commonly known as free-flowering leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an openly-branched shrub or subshrub with crowded, narrow, fleshy leaves and compact groups of pale blue to pale mauve or creamy white flowers.
Lechenaultia hirsuta, commonly known as hairy leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the west of Western Australia. It is a straggling, low-lying shrub with few branches, fleshy leaves, and scarlet flowers.
Lechenaultia juncea, commonly known as scarlet leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open, ascending shrub with narrow, crowded, rather fleshy leaves, and scarlet to orange-red flowers.
Lasiopetalum glutinosum is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading, multi-stemmed shrub with densely hairy young stems, egg-shaped leaves often with three lobes and bright pink or dark red flowers.
Lechenaultia stenosepala, commonly known as narrow-sepaled leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open, more or less erect perennial herb or shrub with crowded, narrow leaves, and blue to pale blue or creamy-white flowers.
Daviesia pedunculata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-western Western Australia. It is a spreading or sprawling to erect shrub with erect, egg-shaped to elliptic phyllodes, and yellow and maroon flowers.
Mirbelia floribunda, commonly known as purple mirbelia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, slender or straggling, much-branched shrub with narrowly linear leaves and bluish-purple flowers.