Stackhousia monogyna

Creamy stackhousia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Celastrales
Family:	Celastraceae
Genus:	Stackhousia
Species:	S. monogyna
Binomial name
Stackhousia monogyna Labill. [1]
Synonyms
Plokiostigma lehmanniiSchuch. Stackhousia aspericoccaSchuch. Stackhousia aspericocca f. incrassataiPamp. Stackhousia aspericocca f. genuinaiPamp. nom. inval. Stackhousia dietrichiaeDomin Stackhousia georgeiDiels Stackhousia giuriatiiPamp. Stackhousia gunnianaorth. var. Schltdl. Stackhousia gunnii Hook.f.nom. illeg. Stackhousia huegeliiEndl. Stackhousia linariifoliaA.Cunn. Stackhousia maideniiPamp. Stackhousia maidenii var. flexuosaPamp. Stackhousia maidenii var. typicaPamp. nom. inval. Stackhousia monogyna var. linariifolia(A.Cunn.) Benth. Stackhousia monogyna var. muelleri(Schuch.) Pamp. Stackhousia monogyna var. obtusa(Lindl.) Pamp. Stackhousia muelleriSchuch. Stackhousia obtusaLindl. Stackhousia pubescensA.Rich. Stackhousia pubescens f. elatiorPamp. Stackhousia pubescens f. genuinaPamp. nom. inval. Stackhousia pubescens f. leiococcaSchuch. Stackhousia tryoniiF.M.Bailey

Stackhousia monogyna photographed in Adaminaby, NSW

Stackhousia monogyna, commonly known as creamy stackhousia or creamy candles, ^[2] is a flowering plant in the family Celastraceae. It is a small multi-stemmed plant with narrow leaves and terminal spikes of white, cream or yellow flowers. It is a widespread species found in all states of Australia but not the Northern Territory.

Description

Stackhousia monogyna is a slender, multi-stemmed, perennial herb to 70 cm (28 in) high, covered with soft hairs or smooth on upright or ascending stems. The leaves are dark green, mostly narrow, linear to lance-shaped, up to 30 mm (1.2 in) long, 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide and rounded, acute or with a short point at the apex. The inflorescence consists of numerous white, cream or yellow flowers in a densely-packed cylindrical spike, each flower is tubular with five pointed spreading lobes up to 5 mm (0.20 in) long. Flowering occurs from late winter to early summer and the fruit is a wide oval or ellipsoid shaped mericarp, wrinkled to veined and 1.9–2.8 mm (0.075–0.110 in) long. ^{[3] [4]}

Taxonomy and naming

The species was described in 1861 by Ferdinand von Mueller as Desdemodium acanthocladum. ^{[5] [6]} In 1805 French naturalist Jacques Labillardière changed the name to Stackhousia monogyna and the description was published in Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen . ^{[7] [8]} The specific epithet (monogyna) means "one", probably referring to the one-seeded fruit. ^[9]

Distribution and habitat

Creamy stackhousia is a common widespread species growing in grassland and dry forest on gravel, clay and granite in all states of Australia but not the Northern Territory. ^{[2] [4]}

References

1. "Stackhousia monogyne". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
2. Brookes, A.K. "Stackhousia monogyna". PlantNET-flora of NSW online. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney.
3. Barker, W.R. "Stackhousia monogyna". VICFLORA-flora of Victoria. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
4. Sharp, Sarah; Rehwinkel, Rainer; Mallinson, Dave; Eddy, David (2015). Woodland Flora a Field Guide for the Southern Tableland (NSW & ACT). Canberra: Horizons Print Management. ISBN   9780994495808.
5. "Desmodium acanthocladum". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
6. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1861). Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae. Vol. v.2 1860-61. Melbourne. p. 122.
7. "Stackhousia monogyna". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
8. Labillardiere, Jaques (1805). Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen. Vol. v.1. p. 77.
9. George, A.S; Sharr, F.A (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and their meanings (4th ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables. p. 262. ISBN   9780958034197.