Persoonia laxa

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Persoonia laxa
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Persoonia
Species:
†P. laxa
Binomial name
†Persoonia laxa
L.A.S.Johnson & P.H.Weston
Synonyms

Persoonia nutans subsp. b sensu jacobs & pickard

Persoonia laxa is an extinct shrub of the family Proteaceae native to the Sydney region in eastern Australia. [2] [3] It was only known from two specimens, the holotype found in Newport in 1907, and the other specimen collected in Manly the following year, with no individuals being found since. It was declared extinct by the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 in 2000 and by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2020. [1] [4]

Contents


Description

Persoonia laxa grew as a spreading or prostrate shrub with smooth bark. The flat leaves were 8–15 mm long and 1–1.8 mm wide and linear in shape. The leaf margins were recurved. The new growth is covered in sparse hairs. P. laxa is described as auxotelic, which means each stalk bears an individual flower that is subtended by a leaf at its junction with the stem. Known as pedicels, these smooth and measure 6–8 mm in length. The flowers occur in groups of one to three. [2] Each individual flower consists of a cylindrical perianth, consisting of tepals fused for most of their length, within which are both male and female parts. [5] The tepals are 8–9 mm (0.31–0.35 in) long and smooth on the outside. [2] The central style is surrounded by the anther, which splits into four segments; these curl back and resemble a cross when viewed from above. [5]

Because of limited observation prior to its extinction, little is known about its flowering and fruit. [3]

Taxonomy

Two specimens of P. laxa were collected in what are now Sydney's Northern Beaches—one from Newport in November 1907 and the other from Manly in June 1908. The genus was reviewed by Peter Weston for the Flora of Australia treatment in 1995, and P. laxa was placed in the Lanceolata group, [2] a group of 54 closely related species with similar flowers but very different foliage. These species will often interbreed with each other where two members of the group occur, [5] A third specimen, collected in 1922 from Dee Why, appears to be intermediate between (and is possibly a hybrid of) P. laxa and P. levis . [2]

Distribution and habitat

Occurring in Newport and Manly in central-eastern N.S.W, P. laxa was thought to have been a component of heath or dry sclerophyll eucalypt woodland or forest on sandstone soils, or possibly in sandy soils on the coast. [2] [3] P. laxa grew at an altitude of 0–20 m with an annual rainfall of 1200–1400 mm. [6]

Extinction

Persoonia laxa is listed as extinct on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The reasons are unknown, though the area in which it was found has become very urbanised, causing the clearance of its habitat for land development, likely resulting in the species' demise. [1] [4]

Related Research Articles

Persoonia micranthera, commonly known as the small-flowered snottygobble, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low-lying to prostrate shrub with branchlets that are hairy when young, spatula-shaped to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, hairy yellow flowers borne in groups of four to fifteen, and smooth, oval fruit.

<i>Persoonia nutans</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia nutans, commonly known as the nodding geebung, is a plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to part of the Sydney region in New South Wales. It is an erect to spreading shrub with linear leaves and yellow flowers on down-turned pedicels.

<i>Persoonia pauciflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia pauciflora, commonly known as the North Rothbury persoonia, is a plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is a small, spreading shrub with bright green, thread-like leaves and a relatively small number of yellow flowers in summer. A recently described species, it is similar to P. isophylla but has fewer and shorter flowers than that species. A very restricted distribution has led to its classification as "critically endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

<i>Persoonia glaucescens</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia glaucescens, commonly known as the Mittagong geebung, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with smooth bark, hairy young branchlets, lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow flowers. It is the only persoonia in eastern Australia with strongly glaucous leaves.

<i>Persoonia prostrata</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia prostrata is a plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the northern tip of K'gari in Queensland, but is presumed to be extinct. It is similar to Persoonia stradbrokensis but is a prostrate shrub with smaller leaves and flowers.

<i>Persoonia bargoensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia bargoensis, commonly known as the Bargo geebung, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with linear to lance-shaped leaves, yellow, tube-shaped flowers and green, pear-shaped fruit.

<i>Persoonia helix</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia helix is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with hairy young branchlets, twisted leaves and bright yellow flowers borne singly or in groups of up to five on a rachis up to 25 mm (0.98 in) long.

<i>Persoonia brevirhachis</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia brevirhachis is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, often spreading shrub with smooth, compact bark, mostly narrow spatula-shaped to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and yellow to greenish yellow flowers borne singly or in pairs in leaf axils.

<i>Persoonia inconspicua</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia inconspicua is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, often spreading shrub with branchlets and leaves that are densely hairy when young, linear leaves and relatively small greenish yellow flowers usually borne singly or in pairs.

Persoonia spathulata is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with hairy young branchlets, spatula-shaped leaves, and yellow flowers arranged singly or in pairs on a rachis up to 2 mm (0.079 in) long that continues to grow after flowering.

<i>Persoonia hexagona</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia hexagona is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with branchlets that are densely hairy when young, linear, sharply pointed leaves and bright yellow, hairy flowers borne singly or in groups of up to ten on a rachis up to 40 mm (1.6 in) long.

Persoonia bowgada is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with smooth bark, more or less cylindrical leaves and yellow flowers in groups of up to ten on the ends of branches.

<i>Persoonia cymbifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia cymbifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with smooth bark, hairy young branchlets, linear to narrow oblong leaves and yellow flowers borne singly or in groups of up to three on a short rachis.

Persoonia baeckeoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading, many-branched shrub with smooth bark, spatula-shaped leaves and greenish yellow flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to three.

Persoonia cordifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area in the south of Western Australia. It is an erect, rounded to spreading shrub with smooth, mottled grey bark, broadly heart-shaped leaves and bright yellow flowers borne in groups of two to eight along a rachis up to 25 mm (0.98 in) long.

<i>Persoonia chapmaniana</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia chapmaniana is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with smooth, compact bark, linear leaves with a sharp point on the tip and yellow flowers borne in groups of five to thirty along a rachis up to 60 mm (2.4 in) long.

Persoonia biglandulosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading or low-lying shrub with smooth bark, linear leaves and bright yellow flowers in groups of between eight and twenty-five on the ends of branches.

Persoonia kararae is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the Perenjori district of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with densely hairy branchlets, linear leaves and yellow flowers in groups of up to ten on a rachis up to 10 mm (0.39 in) long.

<i>Persoonia stricta</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia stricta is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with smooth bark, linear to spatula-shaped or oblong leaves, and bright yellow flowers borne in groups of four to twenty-five on a rachis 3–100 mm (0.12–3.94 in) long, each flower with a leaf or scale leaf at its base.

<i>Persoonia saundersiana</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia saundersiana is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with hairy young branchlets, linear leaves, and bright yellow flowers borne in groups of up to twenty-five on a rachis up to 100 mm (3.9 in) that continues to grow after flowering.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (2016). "Persoonia laxa". Species Profile and Threats Database. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Persoonia laxa L.A.S.Johnson & P.H.Weston". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
  3. 1 2 3 "Persoonia laxa – profile". NSW Government . Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  4. 1 2 Auld, T.; Weston, P. (2020). "Persoonia laxa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T113204000A113309830. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113204000A113309830.en . Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Weston, Peter H. (2003). "Proteaceae Subfamily Persoonioideae: Botany of the Geebungs, Snottygobbles and their Relatives". Australian Plants . 22 (175): 62–78.
  6. ↑ Benson, Doug; McDougall, Lyn (2000). "Ecology of Sydney plant species: Part 7b Dicotyledon families Proteaceae to Rubiaceae" (PDF). Cunninghamia. 6 (4): 1017–1202 [1106]. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-25.
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