Taxandria linearifolia

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Linearfolia from the Latin linearis - linear and folius - leaved.

Occurs from about 80 km north of Perth (Gingin and Wongan Hills) to the extreme south west of the state and east to the Stirling Range and Mt Manypeaks. Grows bordering swamps and watercourses, on loam, clay or sandy soils in forest, woodland or shrubland.

A shrub or small tree to 5 m high, sometimes weeping. Leaves usually single, sometimes clustered on short axillary shoots, well-spaced and usually spreading (less so on weeping branches), very shortly stalked; blade narrowly elliptic, more or less flat, 7–45 mm long, 0.5–4 mm wide, normally largely hairless, midrib and also sometimes 2 more very faint longitudinal veins evident on lower surface, base tapered, sometimes with sparse appressed marginal hairs, tip normally pointed with a short mucro (exposed section of leave vein) or less often rounded.

Flower clusters axillary or terminating short axillary shoots, 5–9 mm across. Bracts and bracteoles hairy. Sepals wooly hairy and rounded. Petals white. Stamens 10, one opposite each sepal and petal.

Fruits in roughly globular clusters, typically 6–8 mm across. Each capsule roughly cylindic 2 mm across hairless or shaggy.

Flowers mostly September to December, occasionally March to May; fruits mostly December to February, falling quite quickly and rarely persisting to the next season.







All photographs (c) Keith Morris, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) unless otherwise indicated.

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