''Calothamnus graniticus'', commonly known as granite claw flower, is a 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 the south-west of
Western Australia. There are two subspecies, both of which have been classified as "near threatened". It is an erect, rounded shrub with pine-like, dark, grey-green foliage and usually bright red flowers. ''Calothamnus graniticus'' subsp. ''graniticus'' occurs in the
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park is a national park in the South West region of Western Australia, south of Perth.
It is named after the two locations at either end of the park which have lighthouses, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste.
It is l ...
and is the floral emblem of the nearby city of
Busselton
Busselton is a city in the South West region of the state of Western Australia approximately south-west of Perth. Busselton has a long history as a popular holiday destination for Western Australians; however, the closure of the Busselton ...
.
(In 2014
Craven
Craven may refer to:
* Craven in the Domesday Book, an area of Yorkshire, England, larger area than the district
** Craven District, a local government district of North Yorkshire formed in 1974
Places
* Craven, New South Wales, Australia, see ...
, Edwards and Cowley proposed that the species be renamed ''Melaleuca granitica''.)
Description
''Calothamnus graniticus'' is an erect, compact shrub, sometimes with many stems, growing to a height of about . Its leaves are usually long, cylindrical in shape and taper to a non-prickly point. They are covered with short, white hairs giving the leaves a greyish tinge.
The flowers are usually bright red, sometimes cream coloured, and are arranged in clusters or irregular spikes containing 2 to 25 individual flowers, mostly on old, leafless wood. The petals are long and the
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 are arranged in 4 claw-like bundles with 20 to 25 stamens per bundle. Flowering occurs from May to August and is followed by fruits which are woody, almost cylindrical
capsules, long and in diameter.
Taxonomy and naming
''Calothamnus graniticus'' was first formally described in 1984 by Trevor Hawkeswood in the botanical journal
''Nuytsia''.
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 ...
(''graniticus'') refers to the fact that this species always grows in soil derived from
granite.
There are two subspecies:
* ''Calothamnus graniticus''
Hawkeswood subsp. ''graniticus'' has leaves about in diameter, flowers in cluster or spikes of up to 15 and is endemic to the
Cape Naturaliste area;
* ''Calothamnus graniticus'' subsp. ''leptophyllus''
(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 ...
) Hawkeswood has leaves in diameter, flowers in clusters or spikes of up to 25 and occurs in the area between
Dwellingup and
Collie.
(It had originally been described in 1867 by
George Bentham as a variety of ''
Calothamnus torulosus''.)
Distribution and habitat
''Calothamnus graniticus'' occurs in and between the Cape Naturaliste, Dwellingup and Collie areas in the
Jarrah Forest biogeographic region where it grows in sandy soils derived from granite.
Conservation
''Calothamnus graniticus'' is classified as "priority 4" by the Western Australian government Department of Parks and Wildlife
[ meaning that it is rare or near threatened.]
Use in horticulture
''Calothamnus graniticus'' is an attractive shrub growing well in warm climates and in a sunny position. Propagation is easy from seed and the mature plant responds well to pruning.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5023869
graniticus
Myrtales of Australia
Plants described in 1984
Endemic flora of Western Australia