Beaufortia eriocephala
| Beaufortia eriocephala | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Beaufortia |
| Species: | B. eriocephala |
| Binomial name | |
| Beaufortia eriocephala W.Fitzg. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Melaleuca lachnocephala Craven & R.D.Edwards | |
Beaufortia eriocephala, commonly known as woolly bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.
Description
Beaufortia eriocephala is a compact shrub which grows to a height of 0.6 metres (2 ft). It is similar to Beaufortis purpurea except that the foliage and heads of flowers are woolly. The flowers are red and are arranged on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. The flowers have 5 sepals, 5 petals and 5 bundles of stamens. Flowering occurs in spring and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules.[1][2]
Taxonomy and naming
Melaleuca eriocephala was first formally described in 1905 by the Australian botanist, William Vincent Fitzgerald in Journal of the West Australian Natural History Society.[3] The specific epithet ("eriocephala") is from the Ancient Greek ἔριον (érion) meaning "wool"[4] and κεφαλή (kephalḗ) meaning "head".[5]
Distribution and habitat
Beaufortia eriocephala occurs in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions.[1] It grows on slopes in sandy soils derived from laterite.[6]
Conservation
Beaufortia eriocephala is classified as "Priority Three" by the Western Australian government Department of Parks and Wildlife[1] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.[7]
References
- 1 2 3 "Beaufortia eriocephala". FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.
- ↑ Fitzgerald, William Vincent (1905). "Some new species of West Australian Plants". Botanisches Centralblatt 99: 599. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ↑ "Melaleuca eriocephala". APNI. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ↑ "erio-". Wiktionary. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ↑ "cephalon". Wiktionary. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 349. ISBN 0646402439.
- ↑ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 21 August 2015.