Index

Taxandria

conspicua

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Taxandria

Image
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...
Read more

Taxandria linearifolia

Image
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...
Read more

Taxandria angustifolia

Image
Angustifolia from the Latin angustus - narrow and folius - leaved.  This species has a limited distribution. It can be found in restricted areas from Mount Hallowell near Denmark to Cheynes Beach, including the Porongurups. Occurs in heath, shrubland or woodland, on sandy or loamy soils often overlying granitic rocks, only occasionally in winter-wet swamps. A fairly bushy, upright shrub up to 3.5 m tall, it is characterised by its long thin leaves. These are 10–23 mm long, up to 1.5 mm wide, thick, concave above and convex below. The flowers are in clusters either axillary or on short shoots. Bracts and bracteoles largely hairless. The sepals are triangular and either hairless or with sparse hairs. Petals white. Stamens 10, one opposite each sepal and petal. Fruits in roughly globular clusters, typically 6-10 mm across. Each capsule ovoid 2–3 mm across, hairless or slightly hairy. Flowers January to July but the dried petals persist long after that. Fruits September to December the...
Read more