Thryptomene australis

Last updated

Hook-leaf thryptomene
Thryptomene australis subsp. australis - Flickr - Kevin Thiele.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Thryptomene
Species:
T. australis
Binomial name
Thryptomene australis

Thryptomene australis, commonly known as hook-leaf thryptomene, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, bushy and spreading shrub with upward-pointing leaves with the tip curving outwards, and flowers with white petals arranged spike-like near the ends of the branchlets.

Contents

Description

Thryptomene australis is an erect, bushy and spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.8–3.5 m (2 ft 7 in–11 ft 6 in) with upwards-pointing leaves with the tip curving outwards. The leaves are linear to narrow egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long and 0.5–1.2 mm (0.020–0.047 in) wide on a petiole 0.7–1 mm (0.028–0.039 in) long. The flowers are arranged in pairs in up to eleven leaf axils near the end of branchlets. The flowers are 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) diameter with egg-shaped to broadly elliptic white or pale pink sepals about 1.4 mm (0.055 in) long and 1.6–2.0 mm (0.063–0.079 in) wide. The petals are white, broadly egg-shaped, 2.0–2.4 mm (0.079–0.094 in) long, and there are seven to ten stamens. Flowering mainly occurs between July and November and the fruit is a nut about 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long and wide. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Thryptomene australis was first formally described in 1838 by Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher in Stirpium Australasicarum Herbarii Hugeliani Decades Tres, published in the journal Annalen des Wiener Museums der Naturgeschichte and was the first species of Thryptomene described. [5] [6] The specific epithet (australis) means "southern". [7]

In 2001, Barbara Lynette Rye and Malcolm Eric Trudgen described two subspecies in the journal Nuytsia and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

Distribution and habitat

Both subspecies of hook-leaf thryptomene are widely distributed in the south-west of Western Australia where they mainly grow on granite outcrops but also on plains, around salt lakes and creeklines and in firebreaks in gravelly, sandy, clay or loamy soils. The species occurs in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Mallee and Coolgardie biogeographic regions but subsp. australis is mostly absent from the last of these. [10] [11] [3]

Conservation status

Both subspecies of Thryptomene australis are list as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Isopogon formosus</i> Species of shrub endemic to areas in Western Australia

Isopogon formosus, commonly known as rose coneflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with divided leaves with cylindrical segments, and spherical to oval heads of pink or red flowers.

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

Thryptomene is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Thryptomene are shrubs with small leaves arranged in opposite pairs and white or pink flowers. About forty-seven species of Thryptomene, occurring in all Australian states and the Northern Territory, have been formally described.

<i>Grevillea integrifolia</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Grevillea integrifolia, commonly known as entire-leaved grevillea, is a shrub that is endemic to the south west of Western Australia.

<i>Verticordia grandiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia grandiflora, commonly known as claw featherflower, clawed featherflower or horned featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, rigid shrub with many short side-branches, mostly linear leaves and heads of yellow flowers which soon age to reddish but which are among the largest in the genus. It is similar in appearance to several other species of verticordias with which it is often confused.

<i>Verticordia roei</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia roei, commonly known as Roe's 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 narrow leaves and is often covered with masses of creamy-white coloured flowers in late spring.

Corymbia cadophora, commonly known as the twinleaf bloodwood, is a species of small, straggly tree that is endemic to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It has rough bark on the trunk and branches, a crown of sessile, egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaves joined in opposite pairs, flower buds mostly arranged in groups of seven, creamy white to pink or red flowers and urn-shaped to barrel-shaped fruit.

Thryptomene biseriata is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to arid areas of southern central Australia. It is an erect, multi-stemmed shrub with more or less round to club-shaped leaves and pink flowers with five petals and five stamens.

Thryptomene costata is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with upward pointing, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and white or pink flowers with five petals and ten stamens.

Thryptomene caduca is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the north-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with crowded egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and pink flowers with five petals and seven to nine stamens.

Thryptomene calcicola is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the north-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, sometimes spreading shrub with upwards-pointing linear leaves, and pinkish-mauve flowers with five petals and ten stamens.

Thryptomene decussata is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with upward pointing, egg-shaped leaves, and white or pink flowers with five petals and twenty to thirty stamens in two whorls.

Thryptomene dampieri is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the north-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with prostrate stems, broadly egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and pinkish flowers with five petals and ten stamens.

Thryptomene duplicata is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with upward pointing, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and white flowers with five petals and about fifteen stamens in two whorls.

Thryptomene elliottii is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to southern central Australia. It is a shrub with decussate, egg-shaped to club-shaped leaves and pink or white flowers with five petals and five stamens.

<i>Conospermum huegelii</i> Species of Australian shrub in the family Proteaceae

Conospermum huegelii, commonly known as the slender smokebush, is a plant endemic to Western Australia.

<i>Petrophile conifera</i> Species of shrub endemic to Western Australia

Petrophile conifera is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to southwestern Western Australia. It is a bushy, much-branched shrub with pinnate, sharply-pointed leaves, and oval heads of hairy, cream-coloured to yellowish white flowers.

Petrophile filifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to southwestern Western Australia. It is a small shrub with curved, long, needle-shaped leaves and more or less spherical heads of hairy cream-coloured to pale yellow flowers.

Petrophile pilostyla is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to southwestern Western Australia. It is a shrub with needle-shaped, sharply-pointed leaves and spherical heads of hairy, cream-coloured or pale yellow flowers.

<i>Isopogon pruinosus</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to southwestern Western Australia

Isopogon pruinosus is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to southwestern Western Australia. It is a compact, spreading shrub with narrow egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and spherical to elliptic heads of pink flowers.

<i>Dicrastylis corymbosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Dicrastylis corymbosa is a species of plant within the genus, Dicrastylis, in the family Lamiaceae. It is endemic to Western Australia.

References

  1. "Thryptomene australis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Thryptomene australis". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Rye, Barbara L.; Trudgen, Malcolm E. (2001). "A taxonomic revision of Thryptomene section Thryptomene (Myrtaceae)". Nuytsia. 13 (3): 514–518. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  4. Pieroni, Margaret (2001), Thryptomene australis, T. duplicata, T. eremaea [art original], [s.n.], retrieved 23 February 2020CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. "Thryptomene australis". APNI. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  6. Endlicher, Stephan (1838). "Stirpium Australasicarum Herbarii Hugeliani Decades Tres". Annalen des Wiener Museums der Naturgeschichte. 2: 192. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  7. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 141. ISBN   9780958034180.
  8. "Thryptomene australis subsp. australis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  9. "Thryptomene australis subsp. brachyandra". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Thryptomene australis subsp. australis". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  11. 1 2 "Thryptomene australis subsp. brachyandra". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.