''Calothamnus aridus'' is a plant in the myrtle

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

, Myrtaceae and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to central parts of Western Australia. It is an erect, densely branched shrub with many stems, needle-like leaves and orange-red to pinkish flowers, growing in arid areas with spinifex.

Description

''Calothamnus aridus'' grows to a height of about , has many stems and is highly branched. Its leaves are needle-like, mostly long, wide and have distinct oil glands. The flowers are arranged in clusters or loose spikes of up to 10 on the younger stems. The five petals are long, egg-shaped, dished, thin and covered with short hairs. The stamens are arranged in five claw-like bundles, each with 10 to 12 stamens per bundle. The stamens are a shade of orange to red in the lower part and pinkish red near the ends and tipped with yellow anthers. Flowering occurs between August and October and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules, long, in diameter and shaped like flattened spheres.

Taxonomy and naming

''Calothamnus aridus'' was first formally described in 1984 by Trevor Hawkeswood from a specimen found about south west of Wiluna. The specific epithet (''aridus'') is derived from Latin, referring to the arid habitat in which this species grow. In 2014 Craven, Edwards and Cowley proposed that the species be renamed ''Melaleuca arida'' but the change is not accepted by the

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Distribution and habitat

''Calothamnus aridus'' occurs in and between the Paynes Find,

Sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

and Wiluna districts in the

Avon Wheatbelt The Avon Wheatbelt is a bioregion in Western Australia. It has an area of . It is considered part of the larger Southwest Australia savanna ecoregion. Geography The Avon Wheatbelt bioregion is mostly a gently undulating landscape with low reli ...

, Little Sandy Desert and Murchison biogeographic regions. It grows in woodland and sandplain in association with ''Triodia'' species.

Conservation status

''Calothamnus aridus'' is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government

Department of Parks and Wildlife The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) was the department of the Government of Western Australia responsible for managing lands described in the ''Conservation and Land Management Act 1984'' and implementing the state's conservation and e ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15396189 aridus Myrtales of Australia Plants described in 1984 Endemic flora of Western Australia