''Lechenaultia formosa'', commonly known as red leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family

Goodeniaceae Goodeniaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asterales. It contains about 404 species in twelve genera. The family is distributed mostly in Australia, except for the genus '' Scaevola'', which is pantropical. Its species are found ac ...

and 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 else ...

to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate or erect shrub or subshrub with crowded, narrow, fleshy leaves and scarlet or orange-red to pale orange flowers.

Description

''Lechenaultia formosa'' is a prostrate or erect shrub or subshrub that typically grows to a height of and has stems with many, sometimes low-lying branches that often

sucker Sucker may refer to: General use * Lollipop or sucker, a type of confection * Sucker (slang), a slang term for a very gullible person * Hard candy ** Cough drop ** Mint (candy) Biology * Sucker (botany), a term for a shoot that arises undergro ...

. Its leaves are crowded, narrow, fleshy and long. The flowers are arranged singly on the ends of branches, and have

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s long. The petals are scarlet to orange-red or pale orange, long and have long, soft hairs inside the petal tube. The petal lobes are more or less equal in size, the wings on the upper lobes wide and the lower lobes triangular and wide. Flowering mainly occurs in winter and spring but flowers are often present in other months.

Taxonomy

''Lechenaultia formosa'' was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in his ''

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen ''Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'' (Prodromus of the Flora of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land) is a flora of Australia written by botanist Robert Brown and published in 1810. Often referred to as ''Prodromus Flora Novae ...

''. The specific epithet (''formosa'') means "beautifully formed".

Distribution and habitat

Red leschenaultia grows in heath, scrub, mallee and woodland and is found across a wide swathe of Western Australia, from the

Geraldton Geraldton ( Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of the Australian state of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth. At June 2018, Geraldton had an urban population of 37,648. ...

sandplains south through to the southwestern corner of the state and east along the southern coast. It grows on granite-, laterite- or clay soils, where it is found on hills, and in flat areas and gullies.

Use in horticulture

Renowned for its bright red, orange or yellow flowers, ''Lechenaultia formosa'' is widely cultivated in Australian gardens. It was first grown in the United Kingdom in 1824. Many cultivars were sold in the 1960s that are no longer available. It grows best in well-ventilated locations with very good drainage; otherwise it is prone to fungal disease, in particular grey mould (''

Botrytis cinerea ''Botrytis cinerea'' is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as "botrytis bunch rot"; in horticulture, it is usually called "grey mould" o ...

'') of the branches and soil-borne ''

Phytophthora ''Phytophthora'' (from Greek (''phytón''), "plant" and (), "destruction"; "the plant-destroyer") is a genus of plant-damaging oomycetes (water molds), whose member species are capable of causing enormous economic losses on crops worldwide, a ...

'' and ''

Pythium ''Pythium'' is a genus of parasitic oomycetes. They were formerly classified as fungi. Most species are plant parasites, but ''Pythium insidiosum'' is an important pathogen of animals, causing pythiosis. The feet of the fungus gnat are frequen ...

'', and is often short-lived. It is propagated readily from cuttings of semi-hardened wood. ''Lechenaultia formosa'' can be grown in

hanging basket A hanging basket is a suspended container used for growing decorative plants. Typically they are hung from buildings, where garden space is at a premium, and from street furniture for environmental enhancement. They may also be suspended from fre ...

s or rockeries.

Conservation status

This leschenaultia is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) is the Western Australian government department responsible for managing lands and waters described in the ''Conservation and Land Management Act 1984'', the ''Rottnest Island ...

References

External links

*
''Lechenaultia formosa'' occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium
{{Taxonbar, from=Q17480194 formosa Plants described in 1810 Flora of Western Australia Garden plants of Australia Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)