''Adenanthos'' × ''pamela'' is a naturally occurring

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

of '' A. detmoldii'' and '' A. obovatus'' in

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

. A bushy shrub intermediate between its parents in habit, leaf shape and flower colour, it is known only from road verges in the

Scott River The Scott River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 9, 2011 river in Siskiyou County, California, United States. It is a tributary of the Klamath River, one of the ...

area, where its parent species co-occur. Despite its hybrid origin, it is fertile. This hybrid was first recognised in 1979, but it was not formally described and published until 1986. It is considered an attractive shrub with significant horticultural potential.

Description

Morphologically, ''A.'' × ''pamela'' is intermediate between its two parent species. It grows as a bushy shrub about 1.5 m (5 ft) in height, roughly twice the height of the compact ''A. obovata'', but shorter than the tall, lanky ''A. detmoldii''. Leaf shape is also intermediate between the short obovate leaves of ''A. obovata'', and the longer lanceolate leaves of ''A. detmoldii''; and flowers are orange or light red, again intermediate between the yellow to orange of ''A. detmoldii'' and the scarlet of ''A obovata''. Like ''A. obovata'', ''A.'' × ''pamela'' possesses a

lignotuber A lignotuber is a woody swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem, such as by fire. Other woody plants may develop basal burls as a similar survival strategy, often as a response t ...

Systematics

Of the six putative ''Adenanthos'' hydrids reported to date, this is the only one known from more than one or two plants. Over twenty individuals have been seen. Moreover, the species is

fertile Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a female during her lifetime and is quantified demographically. Fertilit ...

: the pollen is reported to be less than 50% fertile, yet plants bore plenty of seed when inspected in December 1984. This raises the possibility of the establishment of a

hybrid swarm A hybrid swarm is a population of hybrids that has survived beyond the initial hybrid generation, with interbreeding between hybrid individuals and backcrossing with its parent types. Such population are highly variable, with the genetic and phe ...

. The existence of this hybrid was first reported by Greg Keighery in 1979, but Keighery did not publish a binomial for it. The subsequent discovery of it in such large numbers, together with its recognised horticultural potential, prompted

Ernest Charles Nelson (Ernest) Charles Nelson (15 September 1951, Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a botanist who specialises in the heather family, Ericaceae, especially ''Erica'', and whose past research interests included the Proteaceae especially '' Adenanthos''. H ...

to formally describe and name it in 1986. Nelson chose the epithet ''pamela'' in honour of his friend Pamela Sanderson, an amateur botanist active in the Albany Wildflower Society, in whose company he visited the area to collect specimens in 1984. As a hybrid between two members of ''Adenanthos'' sect. ''Eurylaema'', ''A.'' × ''pamela'' is itself placed in that section. No attempt was made to represent its hybrid parentage in the

taxonomic sequence Taxonomic sequence (also known as systematic, phyletic or taxonomic order) is a sequence followed in listing of taxa which aids ease of use and roughly reflects the evolutionary relationships among the taxa. Taxonomic sequences can exist for taxa ...

given in Nelson's 1995 taxonomic arrangement of ''Adenanthos''; it was simply placed at the end of the section. Thus its placement in that arrangement may be summarised as follows: :''

Adenanthos ''Adenanthos'' is a genus of Australian native shrubs in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. Variable in habit and leaf shape, it is the only genus in the family where solitary flowers are the norm. It was discovered in 1791, and formally publ ...

'' :: ''A.'' sect. ''Eurylaema'' :::'' A. detmoldii'' :::'' A. barbiger'' :::'' A. obovatus'' :::''A. × pamela'' :: ''A.'' sect. ''Adenanthos'' (29 species, 8 subspecies)

Distribution and habitat

''Adenanthos'' × ''pamela'' is restricted to the

areas, where the parent species co-occur, and has only been found growing with both parents. It is known only from about twenty scattered individuals growing on road verges, particularly Governor Broome Road, east of Scott River National Park.

Cultivation

Nelson describes ''Adenanthos'' × ''pamela'' as "an attractive shrub, with considerable potential as a garden plant."

Kings Park and Botanic Garden Kings Park, (Noongar: ''Kaarta Gar-up'') is a park overlooking Perth Water and the central business district of Perth, Western Australia. The park is a mixture of grassed parkland, botanical gardens and natural bushland on Mount Eliza with ...

have successfully cultivated the species from cuttings collected from native plants.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Adenanthos pamela

pamela Pamela may refer to: *''Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded'', a novel written by Samuel Richardson in 1740 *Pamela (name), a given name and, rarely, a surname *Pamela Spence, a Turkish pop-rock singer. Known as her stage name "Pamela" * MSC ''Pamela'', ...