''Spyridium mucronatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family
Rhamnaceae
The Rhamnaceae are a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs, and some vines, commonly called the buckthorn family. Rhamnaceae is included in the order Rosales.
The family contains about 55 genera and 950 species. The Rhamnaceae h ...
and is
endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub usually with narrowly oblong leaves, and dense clusters of up to ten densely hairy, white to yellow flowers.
Description
''Spyridium mucronatum'' is an erect or spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of , its young stems densely covered with star-shaped hairs. Its leaves are usually narrowly oblong, long and wide on a
petiole long. The edges of the leaves are rolled under, enclosing most of the hairy lower surface. The flowers are white or yellow and borne in dense clusters of 4 to 12, the
floral tube long, the
sepals long, and both are densely covered with white hairs. Flowering occurs from September to March.
Taxonomy
''Spyridium mucronatum'' was first formally described in 1995 by
Barbara Lynette Rye in the ''
Nuytsia'' from specimens collected in a nature reserve near
Cascade
Cascade, Cascades or Cascading may refer to:
Science and technology Science
*Cascade waterfalls, or series of waterfalls
* Cascade, the CRISPR-associated complex for antiviral defense (a protein complex)
* Cascade (grape), a type of fruit
* Bioc ...
in 1992.
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 ...
(''mucronatum'') means "pointed", referring to the leaves.
In the same journal, Rye described three subspecies of ''S. mucronatum'' and the names are accepted by the
Australian Plant Census:
* ''Spyridium mucronatum''
Rye subsp. ''mucronatum''
usually has flowers in clusters of 3 to 6, the involucral bracts long.
* ''Spyridium mucronatum'' subsp. ''multiflorum''
Rye has flowers in clusters of 7 to 14, the involucral bracts long.
* ''Spyridium mucronatum'' subsp. ''recurvum''
Rye usually has flowers in clusters of 3 to 6, the involucral bracts long.
Distribution
This spyridium grows in
mallee between
Borden,
Frank Hann National Park
Frank Hann National Park is a national park in Western Australia, located east-southeast of the capital, Perth in the Shire of Lake Grace. It was named for Frank Hann, an early explorer of the district. The park contains a wide array of flora, ...
and
Cape Arid National Park
Cape Arid National Park is a List of national parks of Australia, national park located in Western Australia, southeast of Perth. The park is situated east of Esperance, Western Australia, Esperance and lies on the shore of the South coast of W ...
, in the south of Western Australia, although not as far as the coast. Subspecies ''mucronatum'' often grows in the shade of ''
Eucalyptus uncinata'' trees and is found from Frank Hann National Park to near Cape Arid National Park, subspecies ''multiflorum'' in the eastern part of the ''S. mucronatum'' range, and subspecies ''recurvum'' in the western part of the range, from Borden to
Ravensthorpe.
Conservation status
Subspecies ''mucronatum'' is listed as "not threatened",
but subspecies ''multiflorum'' is listed as "
Priority Two"
meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations, and subspecies ''recurvum'' as "
Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions,
meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.
References
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q17243421, from2=Q100497212, from3=Q51055321, from4=Q51055331
mucronatum
Rosales of Australia
Flora of Western Australia
Plants described in 1995
Taxa named by Barbara Lynette Rye