''Hakea standleyensis'' is a small flowering 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 ...

. It has white flowers, needle-shaped leaves and a twisted growth habit. It grows on cliff ledges in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

, Australia.

Description

''Hakea standleyensis'' is a multi-stemmed sparse shrub tall and up to wide. The smaller branches and young leaves have dense silky hairs quickly becoming smooth. The needle-like leaves are often curved are crowded at the base long and wide. The

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 ...

consists of 6–12 white flowers with over-lapping

bracts 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 ...

surrounding each flower long on a short stalk. Flowering occurs from September to October and the fruit are egg-shaped long and wide with a wrinkled bluish-green surface ending and in a point.

Taxonomy and naming

''Hakea standleyensis'' was first formally described in 1973 by John Maconchie who published the description in ''

Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia The Royal Society of South Australia (RSSA) is a learned society whose interest is in science, particularly, but not only, of South Australia. The major aim of the society is the promotion and diffusion of scientific knowledge, particularly in rel ...

''. Named after Standley Chasm in the

Macdonnell Ranges The MacDonnell Ranges, or Tjoritja in Arrernte, is a mountain range located in southern Northern Territory. MacDonnell Ranges is also the name given to an interim Australian bioregion broadly encompassing the mountain range, with an area of .< ...

one of the localities where it is found.

Distribution and habitat

''Hakea standleyensis'' is restricted to the

in the Northern Territory where it grows in skeletal soil on ledges of

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tect ...

cliff faces.

Conservation status

''Hakea standleyensis'' is considered 'Rare' in J.D.Briggs & J.H.Leigh, ''Rare or Threatened Australian Plants'' (1995).

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18082048 standleyensis Flora of the Northern Territory Plants described in 1973