Regelia

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Regelia
Regelia megacephala 0082.jpg
Regelia megacephala inflorescence in Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Subfamily: Myrtoideae
Tribe: Melaleuceae
Genus: Regelia
Schauer
Species

See text

Regelia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. The genus is composed of five species of small leaved, evergreen shrubs which have heads of flowers on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. Another species, previously known as Regelia punicea and which is endemic to Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, has been transferred to Melaleuca punicea .

Contents

Description

Plants in the genus Regelia are woody, evergreen shrubs ranging in height from 1–6 metres (3–20 ft). Their leaves are small, arranged in opposite pairs or spirally and are noted for bearing essential oils. Their flowers are pinkish purple, rarely red, and are arranged in heads on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. The flowers have 5 sepals, 5 petals and numerous stamens arranged in 5 bundles around the edge of the flower. In many respects, they are similar to plants in the genera Melaleuca , Calothamnus , Conothamnus and Phymatocarpus but differ from them either in the attachment of the anthers to their stalks, the way they open to release pollen, or the number of seeds in the fruits. Plants in the genus Regelia have their anthers attached at the base (rather than the side) and open at terminal pores (rather than slits). The fruits are woody capsules with three valves and have a maximum of two fertile seeds in each valve. [1] [2]

Taxonomy and naming

The genus Regelia was first formally described in 1843 by J.C.Schauer in the journal Linnaea; Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange [3] [4] and the first species he named was Regelia ciliata . The name Regelia honours German gardener and botanist Eduard August von Regel. [1]

Distribution and habitat

All five Regelia species are found in the South West Botanical Province. They grow in sand or sandy soil, often on the margins of winter-wet depressions. [5]

Conservation

Two species, Regelia cymbifolia and Regelia megacephala , are classified as "Priority Four" by the Western Australian government Department of Parks and Wildlife [1] meaning that they are rare or near threatened. [6]

Species

There are currently five recognized species of Regelia. A sixth species, Regelia punicea was originally formally described in 1984 by N.B.Byrnes as Melaleuca punicea, [7] renamed Regelia punicea by B.A.Barlow in 1987, [8] then Petraeomyrtus punicea by L.A.Craven in 2010 [9] and finally in 2013, returned to Melaleuca punicea by Craven on the basis of molecular data. [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Homoranthus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Homoranthus is a genus of about thirty species of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and all are endemic to Australia. Plants in this genus share similarities with those in both Darwinia and Verticordia. They are shrubs with their leaves arranged in opposite pairs and with flowers appearing either singly or in small groups, usually in upper leaf axils. They are found in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. The genus was first described in 1836. None of the species is common nor are they well-known in horticulture.

<i>Beaufortia</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Beaufortia is a genus of woody shrubs and small trees in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. The genus Beaufortia is closely related to Melaleuca, Calothamnus, Regelia and several others, differing mainly in the way the anthers are attached to the stalks of the stamens, and in the way they open to release their pollen. Beaufortia anthers are attached at one end and open by splitting at the other.

<i>Actinodium</i> Genus of flowering plants

Actinodium cunninghamii, commonly known as swamp daisy or Albany daisy, is the only formally described species in the genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae, Actinodium and is endemic to Western Australia.

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<i>Grevillea chrysophaea</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Victoria, Australia

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<i>Scholtzia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Scholtzia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae, which are endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. The genus was first described by Schauer in 1843, who named it in honour of the physician Heinrich Scholtz. The type species is Scholtzia obovata.

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<i>Calectasia intermedia</i> Species of plant

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<i>Leptospermum myrsinoides</i> Species of plant

Leptospermum myrsinoides, commonly known as the heath tea-tree or silky tea-tree, is a species of shrub that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has smooth bark on the younger stems, narrow egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, white flowers and fruit that has the remains of the sepals attached but usually falls from the plant soon after the seeds are released.

<i>Goodenia albiflora</i> Species of plant

Goodenia albiflora, commonly known as white goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and endemic to South Australia. It is a small, erect shrub with ridged stems, elliptic to egg-shaped, cauline leaves, racemes of white flowers with leaf-like bracteoles at the base, and oval fruit.

<i>Homoranthus homoranthoides</i> Species of plant

Homoranthus homoranthoides is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to South Australia.

<i>Melaleuca punicea</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca punicea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the Northern Territory in Australia. Some of the characteristics of this species make it difficult to classify at the genus level. After it was originally described in 1984 as Melaleuca punicea, it was transferred in 1986 to the genus Regelia but it did not fit well in that genus either. In 1999 it was transferred again to a new genus Petraeomyrtus as P. punicea. Subsequent molecular studies, especially of chloroplast DNA have suggested that it is best placed in Melaleuca along with others from genera including Beaufortia, Callistemon and Regelia. Later publications include this species as Melaleuca punicea.

<i>Beaufortia sprengelioides</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia sprengelioides is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rigid, spreading shrub with crowded, round leaves and small, roughly spherical heads of pale pink flowers on the ends of its branches. It was one of the first Australian plant species collected by Europeans and has had several name changes since then.

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

Regelia ciliata is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rigid, spreading shrub with paper-like bark on the stems, tiny wedge shaped leaves and dense heads of mauve flowers in spring and summer.

<i>Leptospermum glaucescens</i> Species of shrub

Leptospermum glaucescens, commonly known as the blue-green tea tree or smoky tea tree, is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to Tasmania. It has elliptical to egg-shaped leaves that are often greyish green, white flowers about 15 mm (0.59 in) in diameter arranged in consecutive leaf axils and fruit that remain on the plant for some time after maturity.

<i>Sarcozona praecox</i> Species of succulent

Sarcozona praecox, commonly known as sarcozona, is species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small erect to low-lying, succulent shrub with leaves that are triangular in cross-section and arranged in opposite pairs, and daisy-like flowers with twenty to eighty pink, petal-like staminodes and 20 to 150 stamens.

<i>Goodenia calcarata</i> Species of plant

Goodenia calcarata, commonly known as streaked goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect, annual herb with toothed egg-shaped to oblong leaves, racemes of white, cream-coloured or pink to mauve flowers with brownish markings, and oval fruit.

<i>Goodenia pinnatifida</i> Species of plant

Goodenia pinnatifida, commonly known as cut-leaf goodenia, scrambled eggs or mother ducks, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and endemic to Australia. It is a low-lying to ascending perennial herb with toothed to pinnatisect leaves, racemes of yellow flowers and more or less spherical fruit.

<i>Triplarina imbricata</i> Species of flowering plant

Triplarina imbricata, commonly known as creek triplarina, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to northern New South Wales. It is a shrub with weeping branches, narrow egg-shaped leaves, and flowers in pairs with five sepals, five relatively small white petals and fourteen to seventeen stamens.

Olearia hookeri, commonly known as crimsontip daisybush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a sticky shrub with small, narrowly linear leaves and white to bluish-purple and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Regelia Schauer". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  2. K. Kubitzki, ed. (1990). The families and genera of vascular plants. Berlin: Springer. p. 237. ISBN   9783642143960 . Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  3. "Regelia". APNI. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  4. Schauer, Johannes Conrad (1843). "Genera Myrtacearum nova vel denuo recognita". Linnaea: Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange. 17: 243–244. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  5. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. pp. 400–401. ISBN   0646402439.
  6. "Conservation codes for Western Australian flora and fauna" (PDF). Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  7. "Melaleuca punicea". APNI. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  8. "Regelia punicea". APNI. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  9. "Petraeomyrtus punicea". APNI. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  10. Brophy, Joseph J.; Craven, Lyndley A.; Doran, John C. (2013). Melaleucas : their botany, essential oils and uses (PDF). Canberra: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. p. 16. ISBN   9781922137517 . Retrieved 26 August 2015.