''Hakea nodosa'', commonly known as yellow hakea, is a shrub that 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 Australia. It usually has golden yellow flowers in profusion and needle-shaped leaves.

Description

''Hakea nodosa'' is an erect, sprawling shrub usually growing to tall and a similar width. The branchlets quickly form ribbing or slowly becoming smooth. The leaves are usually needle-shaped, sometimes flattened, flexible, long and wide. The leaves are occasionally grooved below and smooth ending in a point long. 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 2-11 cream-white to golden yellow flowers in profusion, clustered along the branches. The inflorescence is on a simple stem densely covered with upright hairs, they may be white, brown or a combination of both. The

pedicels In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence. Such inflorescences are described as ''pedicellate''. Description Pedicel refers to a structure connecting a single flower to its inflorescence. In the absenc ...

are long with white, soft, silky hairs. 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 The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepals when ...

is smooth and long. These are followed by woody seed capsules that are 30 to 35 mm long. Two contrasting types of the latter are produced, one that is woody with contrasting lighter bumps, and the other that is smooth, not woody and opens while still attached to the branch. Flowering occurs from May to August.

Taxonomy and naming

''Hakea nodosa'' was first formally described by botanist Robert Brown in 1810 and the description was published in ''Transactions of the Linnean Society of London''. 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 ...

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 ...

word ''nodosus'' meaning "knotty", referring to the prominent knobs on the fruit.

Distribution and habitat

Yellow hakea occurs in south-eastern

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

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 ...

and north-eastern

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

in dense heath woodlands, usually in winter wet locations on clay soil.

Cultivation

Yellow hakea is adaptable to a wide range of soils and climatic conditions and will grow well in full sun or part shade.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5640399 nodosa Flora of South Australia Flora of Tasmania Flora of Victoria (state) Endemic flora of Australia Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773) Plants described in 1810