Zieria granulata

Last updated

Illawarra zieria
Zieria granulata leaves and flowers.jpg
Zieria granulata leaves and flowers
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Zieria
Species:
Z. granulata
Binomial name
Zieria granulata

Zieria granulata, commonly known as the Illawarra zieria, hill zieria or hilly zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to the Illawarra region of New South Wales. It is a tall, bushy shrub distinguished by the wart-like tubercles that cover the entire plant, its linear leaflets and small white, four-petalled flowers.

Contents

Description

Zieria granulata is bushy, aromatic shrub which grows to a height of about 3 m (10 ft) or as high as 6 m (20 ft) in ideal conditions. The branches are covered with warty tubercles and the youngest branches are covered with short, silky hairs. Its leaves are composed of three more or less linear leaflets, with the middle leaflet 15–40 mm (0.6–2 in) long and about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide with the other leaflets smaller. The edges of the leaflets have small teeth and are curved downwards. The upper surfaces are dull green, hairy at first while the lower surface in whitish and covered with soft hairs. Both surfaces are covered with tubercles. The leaf stalk is 3–10 mm (0.1–0.4 in) long. [2] [3] [4]

The flowers are white and are arranged in groups of up to 180 flowers in leaf axils, each flower 3.5–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) in diameter. The groups are shorter than the leaves and the flowers have four glabrous sepal lobes less than 1 mm (0.04 in) long. The four petals are 1.5–2.5 mm (0.06–0.1 in) long and in common with other zierias, there are only four stamens. Flowering occurs during spring and summer and is followed by fruit which is a dry, light brown capsule containing dark, reddish seeds about 2 mm (0.08 in) which have an ant-attracting elaiosome. [2] [3] [4]

Z. granulata in the Australian National Botanic Gardens Zieria granulata habit (ANBG).jpg
Z. granulata in the Australian National Botanic Gardens

Taxonomy and naming

Zieria granulata was first formally described in 1863 by George Bentham in Flora Australiensis , following a description by Charles Moore which had not been validly published. [1] [5] The specific epithet (granulata) is derived from the Latin word granum meaning "grain". [6]

Distribution and habitat

This zieria usually grows on rocky outcrops in shallow volcanic soils. It is only found in the Shoalhaven and Kiama districts on the south coast of New South Wales. [2] [3]

Conservation

Zieria granulata is classified as "Endangered" under the Commonwealth Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act . The main threat to its survival is loss of habitat due to land clearing, quarrying, residential development and road construction. [2] [3]

Use in horticulture

Illawarra zieria is well known in cultivation and is hardy in well-drained soil. It prefers semi-shaded positions but will grow in full sun, is drought hardy and moderately frost hardy. Light pruning is recommended to maintain a bushy shape. [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Boronia muelleri</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia muelleri, commonly known as the forest boronia or pink boroina, is a flowering plant that occurs in forest, woodland and heath in Victoria and New South Wales in Australia. It is an erect, woody shrub or small tree with pinnate leaves and up to fifteen pink to white four-petalled flowers arranged in leaf axils in spring and summer.

<i>Zieria aspalathoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria aspalathoides, commonly known as the whorled zieria, heath zieria, hairy zieria or heathy zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a heath-like shrub with leaves that appear to be whorled and with pink flowers in groups of three, each with four petals and four stamens.

<i>Zieria compacta</i> Species of shrub

Zieria compacta is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with leaves composed of three leaflets, and white flowers with four petals and four stamens. It usually grows in rocky places on steep hills.

<i>Zieria collina</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria collina commonly known as hill zieria, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in south-east Queensland. It is a large, spreading shrub with leaves composed of three leaflets, and small flowers with four white petals.

<i>Zieria adenodonta</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria adenodonta, commonly known as the Wollumbin zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a dense, bushy shrub with leaves composed of three leaflets which are warty on the upper surface. In winter and early spring it has groups of five to eight flowers, each with four white petals, the groups usually shorter than the leaves.

<i>Zieria caducibracteata</i> Species of shrub

Zieria caducibracteata is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a tall shrub or small tree with leaves composed of three lance-shaped leaflets. In early spring there are clusters of small white flowers with four petals near the ends of the branches.

<i>Zieria cytisoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria cytisoides, commonly known as the downy zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a bushy shrub with three-part, clover-like leaves and small clusters of pale to deep pink flowers with four petals and four stamens.

<i>Zieria fraseri</i> Species of shrub

Zieria fraseri is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a dense, bushy shrub with leaves composed of three leaflets, and white flowers with four petals and four stamens. It usually grows in rocky places on steep hills.

Zieria furfuracea is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with three-part leaves and groups of large numbers of small white flowers, the groups shorter than the leaves. It grows on the coast and tablelands north from Wyong.

<i>Zieria ingramii</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria ingramii, commonly known as Keith's zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in central New South Wales. It is a slender, spindly, aromatic shrub with three-part, clover-like leaves and clusters of about seven white to pale pink flowers with four petals and four stamens. The species is only known from two state forests near Dubbo.

<i>Zieria involucrata</i> Species of shrub

Zieria involucrata is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a sparse, erect shrub with mostly three-part leaves and groups of up to 21 small white flowers, the groups shorter than the leaves. It mostly occurs in the lower Blue Mountains, but is also known from other areas around Sydney.

Zieria laxiflora, commonly known as wallum zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with leaves composed of three leaflets, and clusters of about nine white or pale pink flowers with four petals and four stamens. It usually grows is coastal heathland.

<i>Zieria murphyi</i> Species of shrub

Zieria murphyi, commonly known as Murphy's zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and endemic to New South Wales. It is a slender shrub with simple, or three-part leaves and between three and nine white to pale pink flowers with four petals and four stamens arranged in the leaf axils. It usually grows in sheltered places in open forest, often at the base of cliffs.

<i>Zieria parrisiae</i> Species of plant

Zieria parrisiae, commonly known as Parris' zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area near Pambula on the south coast of New South Wales. It is a bushy shrub with warty, clover-like leaves composed of three leaflets and in spring there are clusters of up to 24 white to pale yellow flowers with four petals, near the ends of the branches.

<i>Zieria pilosa</i> Species of shrub

Zieria pilosa, commonly known as hairy zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to coastal New South Wales. It is a shrub with hairy branches, leaves composed of three leaflets and usually only single white to pale pink flowers in the leaf axils.

Zieria robusta, commonly known as round-leafed zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with leaves composed of three leaflets which are egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base. The flowers are pink to white and arranged in groups of up to nine and have four petals and four stamens.

<i>Boronia edwardsii</i> Species of plant

Boronia edwardsii, commonly known as island boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a small, erect shrub with trifoliate leaves and pink or white flowers with four petals and eight stamens. It is common on Kangaroo Island but rare on the mainland.

<i>Boronia albiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia albiflora is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a soft shrub with pinnate leaves and pink or pink and white, four-petalled flowers.

<i>Boronia alulata</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia alulata is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to Cape York Peninsula. It is an erect shrub with many branches, pinnate leaves and pink or white, four-petalled flowers.

<i>Boronia penicillata</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia penicillata is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with pinnate leaves and white flowers with four petals and eight stamens.

References

  1. 1 2 "Zieria granulata". APNI. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Zieria granulata". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: plantnet. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Zieria granulata (hill zieria) Recovery Plan" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment and Conservation. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 Fairley, Alan; Moore, Philip (2010). Native plants of the Sydney region : from Newcastle to Nowra and west to the Dividing Range (3rd ed.). Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin. p. 339. ISBN   9781741755718.
  5. Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1863). Flora Australiensis. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. p. 307. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  6. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 376.
  7. "Zieria granulata". Aunstralian Native Plants Society, Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2017.