''Hemigenia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the mint

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...

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 ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

where most species occur in

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 the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, although some are also found in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. Plants in this genus are shrubs or

bushes A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

with

simple Simple or SIMPLE may refer to: *Simplicity, the state or quality of being simple Arts and entertainment * ''Simple'' (album), by Andy Yorke, 2008, and its title track * "Simple" (Florida Georgia Line song), 2018 * "Simple", a song by Johnn ...

leaves and tube-shaped flowers with the petals forming two "lips" - the upper one with two lobes and the lower one with three.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Hemigenia'' are shrubs or bushes with simple leaves which are arranged either in opposite pairs or in

whorls A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs). Whorls in nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral d ...

. The flowers are arranged singly or in groups in upper 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, often appearing to form a

spike Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...

of flowers. There are five

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 coined b ...

s which are joined at their base to form a tube. The five

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 form a tube with two "lips" - an upper lip with two lobes and a lower one with three. There are four

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. Plants in this genus can be distinguished from those in the similar and closely related '' Hemiandra'' by their less strongly odoriferous leaves and from ''

Prostanthera ''Prostanthera'', commonly known as mintbush or mint bush, is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae, and all are endemic to Australia. Plants are usually shrubs, rarely trees with leaves in oppos ...

'', ''

Microcorys ''Microcorys'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1810. The entire genus is endemic to Australia. ;Species # '' Microcorys barbata'' R.Br. - Western Australia # '' Microcorys boxwood'' Newbey - Western ...

'' and ''

Westringia ''Westringia'' is a genus of Australian shrubs. As with other members of the mint family their upper petal (or lip) is divided into two lobes. There are four stamens - the upper two are fertile while the lower two are reduced to staminodes. The l ...

'' by technical differences in their stamens.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Hemigenia'' was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in '' Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae''. Brown nominated '' Hemigenia purpurea'' the

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

species. The genus name is derived 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 ...

words ''hemi'' and ' meaning "a beard" referring to a part of the

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 ...

Distribution

''Hemigenia'' species are mostly endemic to Western Australia, but '' H. cuneifolia'' occurs in

and

, '' H. biddulphiana'' grows in Queensland and '' H. purpurea'' in New South Wales.

Species list

The following is a list of ''Hemigenia'' species 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 November 2020: *'' Hemigenia appressa'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia argentea'' Bartl. *'' Hemigenia barbata'' Bartl. *'' Hemigenia benthamii'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia biddulphiana'' F.Muell. *'' Hemigenia botryphylla'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia brachyphylla'' F.Muell. *'' Hemigenia bracteosa'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia buccinata'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia canescens'' (Bartl.) Benth. *'' Hemigenia ciliata'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia coccinea'' C.A.Gardner *'' Hemigenia conferta'' B.J.Conn *'' Hemigenia cuneifolia'' Benth. *'' Hemigenia curvifolia'' F.Muell. *'' Hemigenia dielsii'' (Hemsl.) C.A.Gardner *'' Hemigenia diplanthera'' F.Muell. *'' Hemigenia divaricata'' C.A.Gardner *'' Hemigenia drummondii'' Benth. *'' Hemigenia dulca'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia exilis'' S.Moore *'' Hemigenia humilis'' Benth. *'' Hemigenia incana'' (Lindl.) Benth. *'' Hemigenia loganiacea'' (F.Muell.) F.Muell. *'' Hemigenia macphersonii'' Luehm. *'' Hemigenia macrantha'' F.Muell. *'' Hemigenia microphylla'' Benth. *'' Hemigenia obovata'' F.Muell. *'' Hemigenia obtusa'' Benth. - blunt-leaved hemigenia *'' Hemigenia pachyphylla'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia parviflora'' Bartl. *'' Hemigenia pedunculata'' Diels *'' Hemigenia pimelifolia'' F.Muell. *'' Hemigenia platyphylla'' (Bartl.) Benth. *'' Hemigenia podalyrina'' F.Muell. *'' Hemigenia pritzelii'' S.Moore *'' Hemigenia purpurea'' R.Br. *'' Hemigenia ramosissima'' Benth. *'' Hemigenia rigida'' Benth. *'' Hemigenia royceana'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia saligna'' Diels *'' Hemigenia scabra'' Benth. *'' Hemigenia sericea'' Benth. - silky hemigenia *'' Hemigenia tenelliflora'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia teretiuscula'' F.Muell. *'' Hemigenia tichbonii'' K.R.Thiele & G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia tomentosa'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia tysonii'' F.Muell. *'' Hemigenia virescens'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia viscida'' S.Moore - sticky hemigenia *'' Hemigenia wandooana'' G.R.Guerin *'' Hemigenia westringioides'' Benth. - open hemigenia *'' Hemigenia yalgensis'' G.R.Guerin

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3771702 Lamiaceae genera Lamiales of Australia Endemic flora of Australia