''Hakea dactyloides'', commonly known as the finger hakea, is a widely distributed species mainly found in southeastern

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. An attractive shrub or small tree for the home garden bearing sprays of cream-white flowers.

Description

''Hakea dactyloides'' is a non-

lignotuberous 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 ...

upright single-stemmed bushy shrub or small tree tall. Small branches are smooth and generally pale, covered with short matted fine hairs at flowering. Leaves are long and narrow, widest in the middle, rarely narrowly egg-shaped or sickle shaped long and wide. The mid-green leaves taper to a point with three prominent longitudinal veins above and below. The solitary

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

has 20-38 white flowers on a short stalk with white flat silky hairs and rarely rust coloured. 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 and petals are cream-white, 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 ...

long. Fruit are warty and egg-shaped with a slight curve long and wide ending with a sharp short point. Small white flowers often with a pink tinge appear along branches in axillary clusters from October to November.

Taxonomy and naming

''Hakea dactyloides'' was first described in 1788 by

Joseph Gaertner Joseph Gaertner (12 March 1732 – 14 July 1791) was a German botanist, best known for his work on seeds, ''De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum'' (1788-1792). Biography He was born in Calw, and studied in Göttingen under Albrecht von Haller. ...

who gave it the name ''Banksia dactyloides''. In 1800 it was described by Antonio Jose Cavanilles as ''Hakea dactyloides'' and published in ''Anales de Historia Natural''. "The ending ''-oides'' indicates a resemblance, in this case to ''dactylos'', Greek for finger, presumably a reference to the leaves of this species."

Distribution and habitat

A widespread species growing on the Central Coast,

South Coast South Coast is a name often given to coastal areas to the south of a geographical region or major metropolitan area. Geographical Australia *South Coast (New South Wales), the coast of New South Wales, Australia, south of Sydney * South Coast (Q ...

, Tablelands of N.S.W including the Central Western Slopes and north-eastern

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. ''Hakea dactyloides'' grows on slopes, ridges and along watercourses on sandstone in sclerophyll forest. A hardy quick growing species tolerant of most situations.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2713032 dactyloides Flora of New South Wales Flora of Victoria (state) Plants described in 1800