Leucopogon altissimus

Last updated

Leucopogon altissimus
Status DECF P3.svg
Priority Three — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Leucopogon
Species:
L. altissimus
Binomial name
Leucopogon altissimus
Leucopogon altissimusDistA6.png
Occurrence data from AVH

Leucopogon altissimus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a restricted area in the south of Western Australia. It is a tall, erect shrub with glabrous branchlets, elliptic leaves and white or creamy-white flowers in groups in upper leaf axils or on the ends of branches.

Contents

Description

Leucopogon altissimus is an erect shrub that typically grows up to about 3 m (9.8 ft) high and 2 m (6 ft 7 in) wide, with a single stem at the base, its young branchlets glabrous. The leaves are elliptic, sometimes narrowly so, 22–48 mm (0.87–1.89 in) long and 6–13 mm (0.24–0.51 in) wide on a petiole up to 2 mm (0.079 in) long. The leaves are more or less flat and glabrous, the upper surface shiny and the lower surface a paler shade of green. The flowers are arranged in groups of seven to seventeen at the ends of branchlets, or in upper leaf axils, with egg-shaped bracts 0.8–1.4 mm (0.031–0.055 in) long and similar bracteoles, the sepals egg-shaped, 1.6–2.4 mm (0.063–0.094 in) long and greenish. The petals are joined at the base to form a bell-shaped tube shorter than the sepals, the lobes creamy-white and 1.6–2.1 mm (0.063–0.083 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs from August to October and the fruit is a glabrous, elliptic drupe 2.9–3.5 mm (0.11–0.14 in) long. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Leucopogon altissimus was first formally described in 2008 by Michael Clyde Hislop in the journal Nuytsia from specimens he collected east of Albany in 2006. [2] [4] The specific epithet (altissimus) means "highest". [5]

Distribution and habitat

This leucopogon mainly grows in a wide variety of habitats from sand dunes near the beach to dense heath on hilltops, but is only known from a small area between Two Peoples Bay, Cheyne Beach and Manypeaks in the Esperance Plains and Jarrah Forest biogeographic regions of southern Western Australia. [2] [3]

Conservation status

Leucopogon altissimus is classified as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, [3] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Leucopogon audax</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon audax is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, open, single-stemmed shrub with hairy branchlets, egg-shaped leaves and white flowers sometimes tinged with pink, in groups in upper leaf axils or on the ends of branches.

<i>Leucopogon australis</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon australis, commonly known as spiked beard-heath, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is an erect, aromatic shrub with narrowly egg-shaped to narrowly elliptic leaves, and white flowers arranged in spikes near the ends of branchlets.

<i>Leucopogon borealis</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon borealis is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of the west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy young branchlets, linear leaves and white flowers in nine to twenty upper leaf axils.

<i>Leucopogon bossiaea</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon bossiaea is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a restricted area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with elliptic to broadly egg-shaped leaves and white flowers in four to eleven upper leaf axils.

Leucopogon corymbiformis is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with glabrous branchlets, narrowly elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and white, bell-shaped flowers arranged in leaf axils and at the ends of branches.

<i>Leucopogon diversifolius</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon diversifolius is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with more or less glabrous young branchlets, spirally arranged, erect, broadly egg-shaped, elliptic or more or less circular leaves, and white, broadly bell-shaped flowers sometimes with a pink tinge.

<i>Leucopogon incisus</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon incisus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a small area in the far south of the south-west of Western Australia. It is a delicate, erect or sprawling shrub with glabrous young branchlets, spirally arranged, erect, narrowly egg-shaped to narrowly elliptic leaves, and white or pale pink, narrowly bell-shaped to more or less cylindrical flowers.

<i>Leucopogon interstans</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon interstans is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with brownish hairs on its young branchlets, erect, narrowly elliptic or narrowly egg-shaped leaves and white or pinkish flowers in groups in upper leaf axils or on the ends of branches.

<i>Leucopogon maritimus</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon maritimus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the west coast of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with hairy young branchlets, erect, narrowly elliptic leaves and erect white, tube-shaped flowers in upper leaf axils or on the ends of branches.

<i>Leucopogon microcarpus</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon microcarpus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a low, compact shrub with hairy young branchlets, narrowly elliptic, narrowly egg-shaped or linear leaves and erect, compact clusters of 3 to 9 white, tube-shaped flowers in upper leaf axils or on the ends of branches.

<i>Leucopogon navicularis</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon navicularis is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect, compact shrub with hairy young branchlets, narrowly elliptic to narrowly egg-shaped leaves and erect, compact clusters of 4 to 12 white, bell-shaped flowers in upper leaf axils or on the ends of branches.

<i>Leucopogon newbeyi</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon newbeyi is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a small area in the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with densely hairy young branchlets, linear to narrowly elliptic or narrowly egg-shaped leaves and erect, compact clusters of 7 to 17 white, bell-shaped flowers mainly on the ends of branches.

<i>Leucopogon nitidus</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon nitidus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a small area in Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with hairy young branchlets, linear or very narrowly elliptic leaves and erect, compact clusters of 3 to 8 white flowers on the ends of branches and in upper leaf axils.

<i>Leucopogon spectabilis</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon spectabilis is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to inland Western Australia. It is a narrow, erect shrub with few glabrous branchlets, narrowly elliptic leaves and relatively large white flowers arranged in 14 to 32 upper leaf axils.

<i>Leucopogon squarrosus</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon squarrosus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy young branchlets, egg-shaped or elliptic leaves and dense, erect clusters of 5 to 14 white flowers on the ends of branches and in upper leaf axils.

<i>Leucopogon stenophyllus</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon stenophyllus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with a single stem at ground level, linear, narrowly egg-shaped or narrowly elliptic leaves and erect clusters of 3 to 17 white flowers on the ends of branches and short side-branches.

<i>Leucopogon stokesii</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon stokesii is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with hairy young branchlets, narrowly elliptic leaves and erect, dense clusters of 5 to 10 bell-shaped white flowers on the ends of branches.

<i>Leucopogon tenuicaulis</i> Species of shrub

Leucopogon tenuicaulis is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the far southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect or sprawling shrub with thin stems, upright triangular to narrowly egg-shaped or narrowly elliptic leaves and erect, white or pale pink, tube-shaped flower arranged in large groups on the ends of branches and in upper leaf axils.

<i>Leucopogon validus</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon validus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a restricted part of the south-west of Western Australia. It is a robust shrub with glabrous branchlets, narrowly elliptic leaves and white, bell-shaped flowers arranged in six to twelve upper leaf axils and on the ends of branches.

<i>Leucopogon wheelerae</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon wheelerae is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the far south-west of Western Australia. It is a sprawling shrub with slender, glabrous young branchlets, more or less erect, egg-shaped or broadly egg-shaped leaves, and white, broadly bell-shaped flowers with white or pale pink lobes.

References

  1. ↑ "Leucopogon altissimus". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Hislop, Michael C. (2008). "Three new species of Leucopogon (Ericaceae: Styphelioideae: Styphelieae) from the far south-west of Western Australia" (PDF). Nuytsia. 18: 65–67. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "Leucopogon altissimus". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  4. ↑ "Leucopogon altissimus". APNI. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  5. ↑ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. pp. 130–131. ISBN   9780958034180.
  6. ↑ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.