Index

Taxandria

conspicua

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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 ha...
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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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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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