Index

Taxandria

conspicua

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Taxandria

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There are eleven species of Taxandria all endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. One species, conspicua, is divided into two subspecies. They are usually shrubs but two species, T. parviceps and T. linearifolia grow into very small trees and T. juniperina can grow into quite a large tree (over 20 m tall). Flowers are in heads, generally globular. The most noticeable feature of the flowers, which may require a magnifying glass (or phone magnifying app) to see, is there are ten stamens, one opposite each petal and sepal. The use of the word opposite confused me when I was first looking at this genus and to the non-botanist could perhaps be better described as 'next to' as there is one stamen by each petal and sepal. The name taxandria is derived from the Latin tax - ordered and andrus - male and refers to this orderly stamen arrangement. The fruit, like the flower heads, are in clusters, generally globular, each fruit having three valves. Taxandria marginata flower showi...
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Taxandria callistachys

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(c) Russell Cumming, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) Callistachys from the Greek calli - beautiful and stachys - flower spike. Occurs from Esperance to Cape Paisley, with a western outlier population in Ravensthorpe. Grows in heath or shrubland, usually associated with swamps or winter-wet areas near granitic outcrops. An upright shrub to 2.5 m tall. The leaves are 10-25 mm long and up to about 2 mm wide, stalkless or almost so, concave above and convex below. The flowers are in clusters either axillary or on short shoots. Bracts and bracteoles wooly. The sepals are triangular and usually sparsely hairy to hairy though they may be glabrous. Petals white. Stamens 10, one opposite each sepal and petal. Fruits in roughly globular clusters, typically 6-8 mm across. Each capsule ovoid 2–2.5 mm across, hairless or downy. Flowers mostly March to September, the petals persisting for several months. Fruits mostly September to January with the fruits remaining for 2 or 3 years. (c) geoffbyrne, s...
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Taxandria conspicua subspecies conspicua

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Conspicua from the Latin meaning striking. Occurs in scattered populations from south of Pemberton to Walpole and east to the Porongurups and Mt Willyung, with an isolated record from Yelverton near Busselton. Restricted to granite outcrops A shrub to 1.5 m tall. Leaves almost stemless, erect to slightly spreading, generally elliptic 10–25 mm long, 1.5–4 mm wide, slightly concave above and convex below, gradually tapered towards the tip and towards the base, quite thick especially towards the tip which is pointed with a short blunt mucro. Flower clusters usually axillary, about 10 mm across. Bracts and bracteoles somewhat hairy. Sepals with spreading hairs and rounded tip. Petals white. Stamens 10, one opposite each sepal and petal. Fruits in roughly globular clusters, typically 10 mm across. Each capsule roughly cup-shaped 2–3 mm across, hairless or slightly hairy. Flowering irregular, recorded for February to April and also July to September; fruits persisting for at least one year. ...
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