''Synaphea'' is a genus of small shrubs 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 elsew ...

to Western Australia. Synapheas have variably shaped leaves but consistently yellow flowers with an unusual pollination mechanism.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Synaphea'' are small shrubs, usually with deeply lobed ( pinnatipartite) leaves, although some have simple leaves, others

pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

leaves, and have a petiole with a sheathing base. The flowers are relatively small, bright yellow, usually unscented, and arranged in a spike in leaf

axil A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

s or on the ends of branchlets. 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 tube-shaped and

zygomorphic Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts. Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spirall ...

, the tube opening in the upper third to half. As in many other members of the Proteaceae, the male

anthers 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 filam ...

and female

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

are initially in contact and the end of the style is a

pollen presenter A pollen-presenter is an area on the tip of the style in flowers of plants of the family Proteaceae on which the anthers release their pollen prior to anthesis. To ensure pollination, the style grows during anthesis, sticking out the pollen-present ...

. In synapheas (and in ''

Conospermum ''Conospermum'' is a genus of about 50 species in the family Proteaceae that are endemic to Australia. Members of the genus are known as smokebushes - from a distance, their wispy heads of blue or grey flowers resemble puffs of smoke. They hav ...

''), the anthers and stigma are held together under tension and only separate when touched by a pollinator, ejecting the

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

. The fruit is a hard-shelled nut, but in most species seed set is low.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Synaphea'' was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in ''

Transactions of the Linnean Society of London The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...

''. The first species Brown described was ''

Synaphea favosa ''Synaphea favosa'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The low, spreading and decumbent shrub typically grows to a height of and to a width of . It usually blooms between September and November producing yellow flowers. It is found along ...

'' and it is therefore the type species. The name ''Synaphea'' is from the

ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

word ''synaphe'' meaning "a connection" or "a union", referring to a connection between a sterile anther and the stigma.

Species

The following is a list of formally named ''Synaphea'' species and subspecies accepted by the

Australian Plant Census The Australian Plant Census (APC) provides an online interface to currently accepted, published, scientific names of the vascular flora of Australia, as one of the output interfaces of the national government Integrated Biodiversity Information Syst ...

as at April 2020: *''

Synaphea acutiloba ''Synaphea acutiloba'', commonly known as granite synaphea, is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The erect and tufted shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms between July and November producing yellow flowers. It is found on rocky ...

Meisn. Carl Daniel Friedrich Meissner (1 November 1800 – 2 May 1874) was a Swiss botanist. Biography Born in Bern, Switzerland on 1 November 1800, he was christened Meisner but later changed the spelling of his name to Meissner. For most of his 40 ...

- granite synaphea *'' Synaphea aephynsa''

A.S.George Alexander Segger George (born 4 April 1939) is a Western Australian botanist. He is the authority on the plant genera ''Banksia'' and ''Dryandra''. The "bizarre" Restionaceae genus '' Alexgeorgea'' was named in his honour in 1976. Early life A ...

*''

Synaphea bifurcata ''Synaphea bifurcata'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The bushy shrub typically grows to a height of . The leaves have lobes with incisions that extend more than half-way toward the midrib, are deeply forked with a cuneate or fan shap ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea boyaginensis ''Synaphea boyaginensis'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms between September and October producing yellow flowers. It is found in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia between Yo ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea brachyceras ''Synaphea brachyceras'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The small, round and prostrate shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms between August and October producing yellow flowers. It is found on flats and gentle slopes amongs ...

'' R.Butcher *''

Synaphea canaliculata ''Synaphea canaliculata'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The low shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms between August and October producing yellow flowers. It is found in a small area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Aus ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea cervifolia ''Synaphea cervifolia'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms between June and October producing yellow flowers. It is found in a small area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia b ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea constricta ''Synaphea constricta'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The compact and tufted shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms between June and September producing yellow flowers. It is found in a small area in the Wheatbelt region o ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea cuneata ''Synaphea cuneata'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The decumbent to ascending shrub blooms between September and October producing yellow flowers. It is found in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia where it grows in sandy-loam ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea damopsis ''Synaphea damopsis'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The decumbent shrub usually blooms between September and November producing yellow flowers. It is found in the southern Wheatbelt and South West regions of Western Australia where ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea decorticans ''Synaphea decorticans'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The dense shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms between September and October producing yellow flowers. It is found on ridges in the Darling Ranges and in the southern ...

Lindl. John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist. Early years Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...

*''

Synaphea decumbens ''Synaphea decumbens'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The decumbent shrub usually blooms between September and October and produces yellow flowers. It is found in the South West region of Western Australia between where it grows in sa ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea diabolica ''Synaphea diabolica'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The clumped and sprawling shrub typically grows to a height of and produces yellow flowers. It is found on undulating areas in the Darling Range and Wheatbelt region of Western ...

'' R.Butcher *''

Synaphea divaricata ''Synaphea divaricata'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The tufted shrub typically grows to a height of and usually blooms between June and October producing yellow flowers. It is found on slopes in the southern Wheatbelt and Goldfi ...

'' (

Benth. George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...

) A.S.George *''

Synaphea drummondii ''Synaphea drummondii'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The shrub usually blooms between July and September producing yellow flowers. It is found in the southern Wheatbelt and Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia where ...

'' Meisn. *'' Synaphea endothrix'' A.S.George *''

'' R.Br. *''

Synaphea flabelliformis ''Synaphea flabelliformis'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The tufted shrub typically grows to a height of and usually blooms between July and October producing yellow flowers. It is found in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australi ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea flexuosa ''Synaphea flexuosa'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The tangled and multi-branched shrub typically grows to a height of and usually blooms between September and October producing yellow flowers. It is found in the Wheatbelt region ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea floribunda ''Synaphea floribunda'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The prostrate to ascending shrub typically grows to a height of and usually blooms between September and November producing yellow flowers. It is found in the South West The p ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea gracillima ''Synaphea gracillima'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The tufted shrub typically grows to a height of and usually blooms between July and November producing yellow flowers. It is found in the Peel, South West and Great Southern re ...

'' Lindl. *'' Synaphea grandis'' A.S.George *'' Synaphea hians'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea incurva ''Synaphea incurva'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The clumped to spreading shrub usually blooms between September and November producing yellow flowers. It is found along the south coast on slopes in a small area in the Great Southe ...

'' A.S.George *'' Synaphea interioris'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea intricata ''Synaphea intricata'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The slender shrub typically grows to a height of . It usually blooms between July and October producing yellow flowers. It is found on flats and swampy areas in the South West T ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea lesueurensis ''Synaphea lesueurensis'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The shrub typically grows to a height of . It usually blooms between August and October producing yellow flowers. It is found on hill slopes in a small area along the west coast ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea macrophylla ''Synaphea macrophylla'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The decumbent shrub typically blooms in October producing yellow flowers. It is found in a small area in the South West region of Western Australia between Augusta and Margaret ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea media ''Synaphea media'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The erect and multi-stemmed shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms August and October producing yellow flowers. It is found along the south coast in the Great Southern and ...

'' A.S.George *'' Synaphea nexosa'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea obtusata ''Synaphea obtusata'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by ...

'' (Meisn.) A.S.George *'' Synaphea odocoileops'' A.S.George *'' Synaphea oligantha'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea otiostigma ''Synaphea otiostigma'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The erect to decumbent small shrub typically that blooms between October and November producing yellow flowers. It is found in the Wheatbelt and South West regions of Western Aus ...

'' A.S.George *'' Synaphea oulopha'' A.S.George *'' Synaphea pandurata'' R.Butcher *''

Synaphea panhesya ''Synaphea panhesya'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The erect shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms between August and September producing yellow flowers. It is found in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia between ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea parviflora ''Synaphea parviflora'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms between July and October producing yellow flowers. It is found in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia between Dumbleyu ...

'' A.S.George *'' Synaphea petiolaris'' R.Br. - synaphea **''Synaphea petiolaris'' R.Br. subsp. ''petiolaris'' **''Synaphea petiolaris'' subsp. ''simplex'' A.S.George **''Synaphea petiolaris'' subsp. ''triloba'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea pinnata ''Synaphea pinnata'', commonly known as Helena synaphea, is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The low and open shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms between August and November producing yellow flowers. It is found in the Darling ...

'' Lindl. - Helena synaphea *''

Synaphea platyphylla ''Synaphea platyphylla'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea polymorpha ''Synaphea polymorpha'', commonly known as Albany synaphea, is a species of small shrub in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. It is endemic to Western Australia. The Noongar peoples know the plant as bindak. The shrub can have a slender or r ...

'' R.Br. - Albany synaphea *''

Synaphea polypodioides ''Synaphea polypodioides'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The clumped shrub typically grows to a height of . It is found on undulating areas in the South West region of Western Australia where it grows in sandy-loamy-clay soils over l ...

'' R.Butcher *''

Synaphea preissii ''Synaphea preissii'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by ...

'' Meisn. *''

Synaphea quartzitica ''Synaphea quartzitica'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The small and tufted shrub blooms between July and August producing yellow flowers. It is found on quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was or ...

'' A.S.George *'' Synaphea rangiferops'' A.S.George *'' Synaphea recurva'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea reticulata ''Synaphea reticulata'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The spreading to prostrate shrub typically grows to a height of and a width of . It blooms between July and October producing yellow flowers. It is found along the south coast in ...

'' (

Sm. __NOTOC__ Sir James Edward Smith (2 December 1759 – 17 March 1828) was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society. Early life and education Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a ...

) Druce *''

Synaphea sparsiflora ''Synaphea sparsiflora'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms between August and September producing yellow flowers. It is found in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia where it gro ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea spinulosa ''Synaphea spinulosa'' is a species of small shrub in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. It is endemic to Western Australia. Together with ''Acacia truncata'', it was the first Australian endemic to be scientifically described and named, and ...

'' ( Burm.f.)

Merr. Elmer Drew Merrill (October 15, 1876 – February 25, 1956) was an American botanist and taxonomist. He spent more than twenty years in the Philippines where he became a recognized authority on the flora of the Asia-Pacific region. Through ...

**''Synaphea spinulosa'' subsp. ''borealis'' A.S.George **''Synaphea spinulosa'' subsp. ''major'' A.S.George **''Synaphea spinulosa'' (Burm.f.) Merr. subsp. ''spinulosa'' *''

Synaphea stenoloba ''Synaphea stenoloba'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The caespitose shrub typically grows to a height of . It blooms between August and October producing yellow flowers. It is found on winter wet flats in a small area along the west ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea tamminensis ''Synaphea tamminensis'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The shrub blooms between August and September producing yellow flowers. It is found in small area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia near Tammin where it grows in san ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea trinacriformis ''Synaphea trinacriformis'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The prostrate shrub typically grows to a height of . It is found on undulating places and roadsides in small area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia near Arthur Ri ...

'' R.Butcher *''

Synaphea tripartita ''Synaphea tripartita'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The small clumped shrub blooms between July and October producing yellow flowers. It is found in small area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia between Lake Grace and Ku ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea whicherensis ''Synaphea whicherensis'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The compact and tufted shrub typically grows to a height of and blooms between October and November producing yellow flowers. It is found on flats and winter wet depressions in ...

'' A.S.George *''

Synaphea xela ''Synaphea xela'' is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. The sprawling shrub typically grows to a height of . It is found along the west coast on undulating sites in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia between Carnamah and Dandaragan ...

'' R.Butcher

Distribution

The genus is endemic to Western Australia.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q7662022 Proteaceae genera Eudicots of Western Australia Proteales of Australia Endemic flora of Western Australia