Beaufortia incana

Beaufortia incana
B. incana growing in Wingedine Nature Reserve near Kojonup
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Beaufortia
Species: B. incana
Binomial name
Beaufortia incana
(Benth) A.S.George
Synonyms

Melaleuca cinerea Craven & R.D.Edwards

Beaufortia incana, commonly known as grey-leaved beaufortia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, compact shrub with crowded leaves which appear whitish due to their covering of fine, soft hairs on both surfaces. It has almost spherical heads of red flowers in spring.

Description

Beaufortia incana is a compact shrub which grows to a height of 2 m (7 ft). The leaves are arranged alternately, crowded on the younger stems, linear to lance-shaped and arranged in alternate pairs (decussate) so that they make four rows along the stems. The leaves are about 6.5–10.5 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and have a covering of fine hairs on both surfaces.[1][2]

The flowers are red and are arranged in dense heads about 25 mm (1 in) in diameter[3] on the ends of the branches and are surrounded by long soft hairs. The flowers have 5 sepals, 5 petals and 5 bundles of stamens. The stamens give the flowers their colour and are in bundles of 3, joined for most of their length, the bundles of different lengths. Flowering occurs from August to December and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules.[1][2]

B. incana growth habit

Taxonomy and naming

Beaufortia macrostemon var. incana was first formally described in 1867 by George Bentham in Flora Australiensis.[2][4] In 1972, Alex George raised it to species status in Nuytsia.[5] The specific epithet ("incana") is a Latin word meaning "quite gray".[6]

Distribution and habitat

Beaufortia incana occurs in the Avon Wheatbelt, Jarrah Forest, Mallee and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions.[1] It grows in soils derived from laterite on hills and sandplains.[7]

Conservation

Beaufortia incana is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Beaufortia incana". FloraBase. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1866). Flora Australiensis (Volume 3). London: Lovell Reeve and Co. p. 167. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  3. ↑ Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2009). Wildflowers of Southern Western Australia (3rd ed.). [Kenthurst, N.S.W.]: Rosenberg Pub. p. 113. ISBN 9781877058844.
  4. ↑ "Beaufortia macrostemon var. incana". APNI. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "Beaufortia incana". APNI. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  6. ↑ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 381.
  7. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 349. ISBN 0646402439.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 7/26/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.