''Hakea varia'', commonly known as the variable-leaved hakea, is a shrub of 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 ...

and is endemic to Wheatbelt, South West, Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia. It is a dense prickly shrub with creamy-white or yellow flowers and variably shaped leaves.

Description

''Hakea varia'' is an erect or spreading shrub typically growing to a height of and wide and forms a lignotuber. The branchlets and young leaves have flattened, densely matted silky hairs, quickly becoming smooth. The stiff leaves may be variable on the one plant, needle-shaped, simple, more or less elliptic, egg-shaped, toothed, long and wide. All variations of leaves always end in a sharp point long. The inflorescence consists of 16-36 sweetly scented white-cream or yellow showy flowers in axillary clusters. The inflorescence stalk is long with coarse longish hairs. The over-lapping bracts are long and inner bracts rust coloured. The pedicels are long and the

pistil Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

long. The perianth long and white. Flowering occurs from July to November and the ovoid fruit are small, coarse, warty, or smooth, long, usually under wide, and ending with an outward curving sharp horn long.

Taxonomy and naming

Variable-leaved hakea was first formally described by Robert Brown and published the description in '' Transactions of the Linnean Society of London''. Named from the Latin ''varius'' - variable referring to the many differing leaf shapes.

Distribution and habitat

''Hakea varia'' is a widespread species growing from north of Perth around the coast to Augusta and Esperance. Prefers winter wet situations on sand, clay, loam and gravel. A frost tolerant species favouring a sunny or shady aspect. A dense prickly shrub good for wildlife habitat.

Conservation status

''Hakea varia'' is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18081607 varia Eudicots of Western Australia Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)