''Hakea laevipes'' is a shrub in the family
Proteaceae
The Proteaceae form a family of flowering plants predominantly distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises 83 genera with about 1,660 known species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae, they make up the order Pro ...
. A widespread species found growing on coastal and tableland locations mainly in eastern
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 ...
, with scattered populations in south-eastern
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
.
Description
''Hakea laevipes'' is an erect bushy
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 ...
shrub high. Its branchlets are dark brown densely covered with short soft hairs at flowering time. The leaves are lance shaped tapering at each end to egg-shaped, occasionally
spatula
A spatula is a broad, flat, flexible blade used to mix, spread and lift material including foods, drugs, plaster and paints.
In medical applications, "spatula" may also be used synonymously with tongue depressor.
The word ''spatula'' derives f ...
-shaped sometimes sickle shaped curving to a point, long and wide. The leaves have 3–5 longitudinal veins with conspicuous secondary veins. The fruit are broadly three dimensional to egg-shaped long and wide with a rough warty surface ending at the apex with an obscure beak. Cream flowers appear from October to January.
Taxonomy and naming
''Hakea laevipes'' was first formally described in 1919 by
Michel Gandoger
Abbé Jean Michel Gandoger (10 May 1850 – 4 October 1926), was a French botanist and mycologist. He was born in Arnas, Rhône, Arnas, the son of a wealthy vineyard owner in the Beaujolais region. Although he took holy orders at the age of 26, he ...
and the description was published in ''
Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France
Bulletin or The Bulletin may refer to:
Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals)
* Bulletin (online newspaper), a Swedish online newspaper
* ''The Bulletin'' (Australian periodical), an Australian magazine (1880–2008)
** Bulletin Debate, ...
''.
The
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
(''laevipes'') is derived from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
words ''laevis'' meaning "smooth", "polished" or "bald"
and ''pes'' meaning "foot",
since Gandoger described the species as having a smooth flower stalk. When Gandoger initially named the species he compared it to ''H. leucopoda'' and ''H. incrassans'', both synonyms of ''
H. dactyloides''. In 1973
John MacGillivray
John MacGillivray (18 December 1821 – 6 June 1867) was a Scottish naturalist, active in Australia between 1842 and 1867.
MacGillivray was born in Aberdeen, the son of ornithologist William MacGillivray. He took part in three of the Royal Nav ...
noted that the stalk of the individual flowers on the single specimen were not without hairs but possessing a "subsericeous indumentum", meaning closely pressed silky hairs. Therefore despite its name this species does have hairy flower stalks.
There are two subspecies:
* ''Hakea laevipes'' subsp. ''graniticola'' distribution is restricted to north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland often in higher altitudes of the
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills, that runs rough ...
extending to the slopes of
Warialda
Warialda is a town in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, in Gwydir Shire. Situated on the banks of Warialda Creek, the town's name means "Place of Wild Honey" in local aboriginal language. At the , Warialda had a populati ...
and possibly in the
Yetman
Yetman is a hamlet in the New England region of northern New South Wales, Australia. At the , Yetman and the surrounding area had a population of 178. It is located on the Macintyre River about south of the Queensland border and north of Sy ...
district usually growing in coarse sandy soil on
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
outcrops. This subspecies differs from subspecies ''laevipes'' in having smooth flower stalks.
* ''Hakea laevipes'' subsp. ''laevipes'' distribution is similar to ''Hakea laevipes'' growing in the North, Central and South Coast and Tableland regions of New South Wales extending to the North Western Plains and in south-eastern Queensland but not extending as far north-west as subspecies ''graniticola''. This subspecies has short soft hairs on the flower stalks.
Distribution and habitat
''Hakea laevipes'' is a widespread species growing from the coast to tablelands in N.S.W mostly on sandy soils in dry sclerophyll forest, woodland and heath. It is found to the north of
Green Cape
Green Cape is a locality situated on the eponymous headland or cape on the far south coast of New South Wales. It is located at 37° 15' S 150° 03' E, within Beowa National Park, south of Eden, New South Wales. The headland forms the northern ...
and inland to the Warialda and Yetman districts. It also grows also in south-eastern Queensland.
Image:Hakea laevipes leaf.jpg, Leaf
Image:Hakea laevipes fruit.jpg, Fruit
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5640389
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of Queensland
laevipes
Plants described in 1919
Taxa named by Michel Gandoger