''Kunzea spathulata'' is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family,

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...

and is endemic to a small area in the south west of Western Australia. It is a tall shrub with erect, much-branched stems, linear leaves and more or less spherical groups of yellow or yellowish green flowers.

Description

''Kunzea spathulata'' is a tall, glabrous shrub or small tree that typically grows to a height of with erect stems that have many ascending branches. The leaves are linear, long and about wide on a petiole long and more or less pressed against the stem. The flowers are arranged in more or less spherical groups of between ten and eighteen, mostly on the ends of the branches. There are egg-shaped

bract 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 ...

s and pairs of bracteoles at the base of the flowers. The sepals are egg-shaped to triangular and long. The

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s are yellow or yellowish green, egg-shaped to almost round and long. There are between 26 and 30

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s long, in several whorls. Flowering occurs in October and November.

Taxonomy and naming

''Kunzea spathulata'' was first formally described in 1996 by Hellmut R. Toelken from a specimen collected near Nannup and the description was published in the '' Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens''. 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 ...

(''spathulata'') refers to the spatula-shaped bracteoles of this kunzea.

Distribution and habitat

This kunzea is found around marshes and swampy areas, mainly near Augusta and Nannup.

Conservation status

''Kunzea spathulata'' is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government

Department of Parks and Wildlife The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) was the department of the Government of Western Australia responsible for managing lands described in the ''Conservation and Land Management Act 1984'' and implementing the state's conservation and en ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15369067 spathulata Endemic flora of Western Australia Myrtales of Australia Rosids of Western Australia Plants described in 1996 Taxa named by Hellmut R. Toelken