Styphelia longissima
| Styphelia longissima | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Styphelia |
| Species: | S. longissima
|
| Binomial name | |
| Styphelia longissima | |
Styphelia longissima is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a few places in the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy young branchlets, stem-clasping, sharply-pointed, narrowly egg-shaped to narrowly elliptic leaves, and white, tube-shaped flowers.
Description
[edit]Styphelia longissima is an erect shrub with hairy young branchlets, that typically grows up to 70 cm (28 in) high and 70 cm (28 in) wide. Its leaves are stem-clasping, narrowly egg-shaped to narrowly elliptic, 7–13 mm (0.28–0.51 in) long and 2.0–3.8 mm (0.079–0.150 in) wide on a petiole 0.8–1.5 mm (0.031–0.059 in) long. The end of the leaves is sharply-pointed and the edges usually have hairs 0.5–1.0 mm (0.020–0.039 in) long. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils and are erect and sessile with egg-shaped to elliptic bracts 1.8–2.5 mm (0.071–0.098 in) long and bracteoles 2.4–3.2 mm (0.094–0.126 in) long and 1.5–2.0 mm (0.059–0.079 in) wide. The sepals are narrowly egg-shaped to narrowly elliptic, 5.0–6.8 mm (0.20–0.27 in) long and 1.4–1.8 mm (0.055–0.071 in) wide and straw-coloured. The petals are white and joined at the base to form a tube 4.4–4.8 mm (0.17–0.19 in) long and 2.5–3.0 mm (0.098–0.118 in) wide, with lobes that are turned back and 3.2–4.0 mm (0.13–0.16 in) long. Flowering occurs between May and July.[2][3]
Taxonomy
[edit]Styphelia longissima was first formally described in 2017 by Michael Hislop and Caroline Puente-Lelievre in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected north of Eneabba in 2004.[4] The specific epithet (longissima) means "very long", referring to the point on the end of the leaf, and the hairs on the edges of the leaves and ovary.[5]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]This styphelia grows in heath and open, low woodland on yellow sand in a small area near Eneabba in the Avon Wheatbelt and Geraldton Sandplains bioregions of south-western Western Australia.[2][3]
Conservation status
[edit]Styphelia longissima is listed as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "Styphelia longissima". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ a b Hislop, Michael; Puente-Lelièvre, Caroline (2017). "Five new species of Styphelia (Ericaceae: Epacridoideae: Styphelieae) from the Geraldton Sandplains, including notes on a new, expanded circumscription for the genus". Nuytsia. 28: 108–110. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ a b c "Styphelia longissima". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Styphelia longissima". APNI. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 243. ISBN 9780958034180.