''Goodenia ovata'', commonly called the hop goodenia,
is a species of flowering plant 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 elsew ...
to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with sticky, often varnished foliage, toothed egg-shaped to elliptic leaves and
raceme
A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...
s or
thyrse
A thyrse is a type of inflorescence in which the main axis grows indeterminately, and the subaxes (branches) have determinate growth.{{cite book , author1=Hickey, M., author2=King, C. , year=2001 , title=The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Bot ...
s of yellow flowers.
Description
''Goodenia ovata'' is a erect, ascending to prostrate shrub that typically grows to a height of and has sticky, often varnished foliage. The leaves are egg-shaped to elliptic, long and wide with toothed edges, on a
petiole up to long. The flowers are arranged in racemes or thyrses about long on a
peduncle long, with leaf-like
bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
s and linear
bracteoles
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
long. Each flower is borne on a
pedicel
Pedicle or pedicel may refer to:
Human anatomy
*Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures
...
up to long, the
sepal
A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...
s linear to lance-shaped and long. The petals are yellow, long, the lower lobes long with wings up to wide. Flowering occurs throughout the year with a peak from October to March and the fruit is a cylindrical
capsule long.
Taxonomy
''Goodenia ovata'' was first formally described in 1794 by
James Edward Smith James Edward Smith may refer to:
* James Edward Smith (botanist), English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society
* James Edward Smith (murderer), American murderer
* James Edward Smith (politician), Canadian businessman and mayor of Toronto
* ...
in ''
Transactions of the Linnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...
'' from specimens "presented to the Society by
Mr. Hoy" in December 1792.
The species' name ''ovata'' refers to the egg-shaped or oval leaves.
[
]
Distribution and habitat
Hop goodenia grows in forest, woodland and scrub in higher rainfall areas, and especially in disturbed areas. It is found near the coast as well as in drier inland areas. It occurs in south-eastern South Australia, most of Victoria apart from the northern mallee and alpine areas and most of New South Wales. It is also widespread in Tasmania and south-eastern Queensland.Themeda australis
}
''Themeda triandra'' is a species of perennial tussock-forming grass widespread in Africa, Australia, Asia and the Pacific. In Australia it is commonly known as kangaroo grass and in East Africa and South Africa it is known as red grass and red ...
'' and under such trees as turpentine (''Syncarpia glomulifera
''Syncarpia glomulifera'', commonly known as the turpentine tree, or yanderra, is a tree of the family Myrtaceae native to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia, which can reach in height. It generally grows on heavier soils. The cream fl ...
'') or blackbutt (''Eucalyptus pilularis
''Eucalyptus pilularis'', commonly known as blackbutt, is a species of medium-sized to tall tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough, finely fibrous greyish bark on the lower half of the trunk, smooth white, grey or cream-coloured ...
''), or in open forest under swamp oak (''Casuarina glauca
''Casuarina glauca'', commonly known as the swamp she-oak, swamp oak, grey oak, or river oak, is a species of ''Casuarina'' native to the east coast of Australia. It is found from central Queensland south to southern New South Wales. It has becom ...
''), forest red gum (''Eucalyptus tereticornis
''Eucalyptus tereticornis'', commonly known as forest red gum, blue gum or red irongum, is a species of tree that is native to eastern Australia and southern New Guinea. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in grou ...
''), thin-leaved stringybark ('' E. eugenioides''), or woollybutt ('' E. longifolia'').
Ecology
The flowers of ''G. ovata'' are pollinated by insects, including native bees, honeybees, and hoverflies. The plant is killed by bushfire and regenerates from seed afterwards.[
]
Use in horticulture
In cultivation, the species prefers a situation in part shade and with some moisture. It copes with a range of soil types and tolerates moderate frost.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5583347
ovata
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of Queensland
Flora of South Australia
Flora of Tasmania
Flora of Victoria (Australia)
Asterales of Australia
Taxa named by James Edward Smith
Plants described in 1794