''Calothamnus aridus'' 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 central parts of Western Australia. It is an erect, densely branched shrub with many stems, needle-like leaves and orange-red to pinkish flowers, growing in arid areas with spinifex.

Description

''Calothamnus aridus'' grows to a height of about , has many stems and is highly branched. Its leaves are needle-like, mostly long, wide and have distinct oil glands. The flowers are arranged in clusters or loose spikes of up to 10 on the younger stems. The five petals are long, egg-shaped, dished, thin and covered with short hairs. 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 five claw-like bundles, each with 10 to 12 stamens per bundle. The stamens are a shade of orange to red in the lower part and pinkish red near the ends and tipped with yellow anthers. Flowering occurs between August and October and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules, long, in diameter and shaped like flattened spheres.

Taxonomy and naming

''Calothamnus aridus'' was first formally described in 1984 by Trevor Hawkeswood from a specimen found about south west of Wiluna. 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 ...

(''aridus'') is derived from Latin, referring to the arid habitat in which this species grow. 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 arida'' but the change is not accepted by the Australian Plant Census.

Distribution and habitat

''Calothamnus aridus'' occurs in and between the Paynes Find, Sandstone and Wiluna districts in the Avon Wheatbelt,

Little Sandy Desert The Little Sandy Desert (LSD) is a desert region in the state of Western Australia, lying to the east of the Pilbara and north of the Gascoyne regions. It is part of the Western Desert cultural region, and was declared an interim Australian ...

and Murchison biogeographic regions. It grows in woodland and sandplain in association with ''Triodia'' species.

Conservation status

''Calothamnus aridus'' is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government

Department of Parks and Wildlife The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) was the department of the Government of Western Australia responsible for managing lands described in the ''Conservation and Land Management Act 1984'' and implementing the state's conservation and en ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15396189 aridus Myrtales of Australia Plants described in 1984 Endemic flora of Western Australia