''Conostylis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of perennial herbs in the

Haemodoraceae Haemodoraceae is a family of perennial herbaceous flowering plants with 14 genera and 102 known species. It is sometimes known as the "bloodwort family". Primarily a Southern Hemisphere family, they are found in South Africa, Australia and New ...

family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the

south west The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

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 ...

Taxonomy

The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and one of six genera which only occur in the

Southwest Australia Southwest Australia is a biogeographic region in Western Australia. It includes the Mediterranean-climate area of southwestern Australia, which is home to a diverse and distinctive flora and fauna. The region is also known as the Southwest Aus ...

bioregion; they are closely related to the well known kangaroo paws, species of ''

Anigozanthos ''Anigozanthos'' is a genus of Southwest Australian plants of the bloodwort family Haemodoraceae. The 11 species and their subspecies are commonly known as kangaroo paw or catspaw, depending on their size, and the shape and color of their flo ...

'' and ''

Macropidia ''Macropidia fuliginosa'', the sole species of genus ''Macropidia'', is a perennial rhizomatous flowering plant. A relation of the kangaroo paws, ''Anigozanthus'', which are also endemic to Southwest Australia, it is referred to as the black kan ...

''. ''Conostylis'' was described by Robert Brown, published in his ''

Prodromus A prodromus ('forerunner' or 'precursor') aka prodrome is a term used in the natural sciences to describe a preliminary publication intended as the basis for a later, more comprehensive work. It is also a medical term used for a premonitory sympt ...

'' of Australian flora in 1810. No type species was provided by the author. The genus name ''Conostylis'' is derived from Ancient Greek terms for 'cone' and 'column, style', a reference to the conical shape of the

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

's tip.

Description

They have leathery, strap-like leaves which arise from the base of the plant, sometimes from underground

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

s. Flowers which usually occur in clusters (sometimes singly) on stalks which emerge from the bases of the leaves. Individual flowers have a short stalk with and six

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

s which are either cream, yellow, orange or purple. The tepals join to form a short tube at the base with six similar stamens attached at the top of the tube.

Diversity

The described species of ''Conostylis'' include: *''

Conostylis aculeata ''Conostylis aculeata'', commonly known as prickly conostylis, is a flowering, tufted perennial plant in the family Haemodoraceae. It has flat leaves and yellow, hairy, tubular flowers. It is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Des ...

'' R.Br. Prickly conostylis *'' Conostylis albescens''

Hopper Hopper or hoppers may refer to: Places *Hopper, Illinois * Hopper, West Virginia * Hopper, a mountain and valley in the Hunza–Nagar District of Pakistan * Hopper (crater), a crater on Mercury People with the name * Hopper (surname) * Grace H ...

*''

Conostylis androstemma ''Conostylis androstemma'' (common name trumpets) is a tufted perennial plant species in the family Haemodoraceae. It is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Plants grow to between 10 and 30 cm high and produce cream to pale yello ...

F.Muell. Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victo ...

Trumpets *'' Conostylis angustifolia'' Hopper *''

Conostylis argentea ''Conostylis argentea'' is a rhizomatous, tufted perennial plant species in the family Haemodoraceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. In July and August it produces white to cream flowers in the species' native range. Description ...

'' ( J.W.Green) Hopper *'' Conostylis aurea''

Lindl. John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist. Early years Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...

Golden conostylis *'' Conostylis bealiana'' F.Muell. *''

Conostylis bracteata ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' Lindl. *''

Conostylis breviscapa ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' R.Br. *''

Conostylis candicans ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

Endl. Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher also known as Endlicher István László (24 June 1804, Pressburg, Bratislava (Pozsony) – 28 March 1849, Vienna) was an Austrian Empire, Austrian botanist, numismatist and Sinologist. He was a director of the Botan ...

Grey cottonhead *''

Conostylis caricina ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, an ...

'' Lindl. *''

Conostylis crassinerva ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' J.W.Green *''

Conostylis deplexa ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' J.W.Green *''

Conostylis dielsii ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' W.Fitzg. *''

Conostylis drummondii ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

Benth. George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...

Drummond's conostylis *''

Conostylis festucacea ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' Endl. *'' Conostylis juncea''

*'' Conostylis laxiflora'' Benth. *'' Conostylis micrantha'' Hopper Small-flowered conostylis *''

Conostylis misera ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' Endl. Grass conostylis *'' Conostylis neocymosa'' Hopper *'' Conostylis pauciflora'' Hopper Dawesville conostylis *'' Conostylis petrophiloides'' F.Muell. ex Benth. *'' Conostylis phathyrantha'' Diels *'' Conostylis prolifera'' Benth. Mat cottonheads *'' Conostylis pusilla'' Endl. *''

Conostylis resinosa ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' Hopper *'' Conostylis robusta'' Diels *''

Conostylis seorsiflora ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' F.Muell. *'' Conostylis serrulata'' R.Br. *''

Conostylis setigera ''Conostylis setigera'', commonly known as bristly cottonhead, is a tufted perennial plant species in the family Haemodoraceae. It is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Plants grow to between 5 and 36 cm high and produce yellow ...

'' R.Br. Bristly cottonhead *'' Conostylis setosa'' Lindl. White cottonhead *'' Conostylis stylidioides'' F.Muell. *'' Conostylis teretifolia'' J.W.Green *'' Conostylis teretiuscula'' F.Muell. *''

Conostylis vaginata ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' Endl. Sheath conostylis *'' Conostylis villosa'' Benth. *''

Conostylis wonganensis ''Conostylis wonganensis'', known as Wongan conostylis, is a perennial plant species in the family Haemodoraceae. It is an endemic of Southwest Australia that is threatened with extinction. Taxonomy The species was described by Stephen Hopper ...

'' Hopper Wongan conostylis

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q641431 Commelinales of Australia Angiosperms of Western Australia Commelinales genera Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773) Plants described in 1810 Endemic flora of Southwest Australia