''Styphelia setigera'' is a species of flowering plant in the heath family

Ericaceae The Ericaceae () are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acidic and infertile growing conditions. The family is large, with about 4,250 known species spread acros ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

to eastern New South Wales. It is an erect to spreading shrub with lance-shaped to elliptic leaves, and white, tube-shaped flowers arranged singly or in pairs in leaf axils, forming a spike long.

Description

''Styphelia setigera'' is an erect to spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of . Its leaves are lance-shaped to elliptic, long, wide and sessile, but with a sharply-pointed bristle on the tip. Both sides of the leaves are usually

glabrous Glabrousness () is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes, or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of a plant or animal, or be due to loss because of a physical condition, ...

, the lower surface finely striated. The flowers are borne singly or in pairs in leaf axils forming a spike long, with bracteoles long at the base. The

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 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s are long, the petals white and joined at the base, forming a tube long, the lobes long and bearded on the inside. Flowering occurs from July to October, and the fruit is about long and glabrous.

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1810 by

Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author Entertainers and artists * Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer * Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...

who gave it the name ''Leucopogon setiger'' in his ''

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae ''Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'' (Prodromus of the Flora of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land) is a book by the botanist Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and ...

''. In 1824,

Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel (3 August 1766 – 15 March 1833) was a German botanist and physician who published an influential multivolume history of medicine, ''Versuch einer pragmatischen Geschichte der Arzneikunde'' (1792–99 in four vol ...

transferred the species to ''

Styphelia ''Styphelia'' is a genus of shrubs in the family Ericaceae, native from Mainland Southeast Asia, Indo-China through the Pacific to Australia. Most have minute or small leaves with a sharp tip, single, tube-shaped flowers arranged in leaf ...

'' as ''S. setigera'' in ''

Systema Vegetabilium ''Systema Vegetabilium'' (abbreviated as Syst. Veg.) is a book published in four editions, following twelve earlier editions known as ''Systema Naturae''. The first edition, published in 1774 and edited by Johan Andreas Murray is counted as edit ...

''. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

(''setigera'') means "bristle-bearing".

Distribution and habitat

''Styphelia setigera'' grows in shrubby woodland on sandstone, sometimes in heath and wetter areas, and is widespread on the coast and tablelands south from

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

and the Blue Mountains.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q65950180, from2=Q6534238 setigera Ericales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Plants described in 1810 Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)