''Gastrolobium melanopetalum'' is a
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
in the family
which 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 elsew ...
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 se ...
of
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 ...
.
Description
The species is a shrub up to 3 metres in height. It has narrow-ovate leaves which are 1.4 to 6 cm long and 0.4 to 2 cm in length. Distinctive purple-black pendulous pea-flowers are produced from early spring to early summer (September to December in Australia). It is not known whether this species shares the toxic properties of many other members of the genus ''
Gastrolobium''.
Taxonomy
The species was first formally described in 1864 by botanist
Ferdinand von Mueller
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 Vict ...
in ''
Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae''. He gave it the name ''Brachysema melanopetalum'', the specific epithet being derived from the
Greek words ''melanos'' (black) and ''petalon'', alluding to the dark-coloured flowers. In 1995, botanist
Michael Crisp placed the species in the genus ''Gastrolobium'' along with a number of other ''Brachysema'' species.
Distribution
This species is usually found in thickets growing near streams or freshwater swamps. It occurs south of
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
between the
Darling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north–south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia. The escarpment extends generally north of Bindoon, to th ...
and the
Blackwood River
The Blackwood River is a major river and catchment in the South West of Western Australia.
Course
The river begins at the junction of Arthur River and Balgarup River near Quelarup and travels in a south westerly direction through the tow ...
.
References
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q5526854
melanopetalum
Plants described in 1864
Rosids of Western Australia
Endemic flora of Western Australia
Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller