Conospermum caeruleum

Blue Brother
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Conospermum
Species: C. caeruleum
Binomial name
Conospermum caeruleum
R.Br.

Conospermum caeruleum, commonly known as blue brother, is a shrub in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with small, dense heads of blue, rarely pink flowers and usually grows in heavy soils subject to flooding.

Description

It grows as a prostrate or straggly shrub usually growing to a height of about 0.5–1.0 metre (2–3 ft) and a spread of up to 2 metres (7 ft). The leaves are clustered at the base of the stem, have a stalk 5–60 millimetres (0.2–2 in) and a leaf blade that is thread-like to egg-shaped and 14–148 millimetres (0.6–6 in). The leaves have prominent veins and end abruptly in a sharp point. The flowers are arranged in dense clusters of up to 18 tube-like blue flowers, each about 5–8 millimetres (0.2–0.3 in) long. Flowers appear between July and October and are followed by the fruit which is a nut about 2 millimetres (0.08 in) long and 2–2.5 millimetres (0.08–0.1 in) wide.[1][2][3]

Taxonomy

Conospermum caeruleum was first formally described by Robert Brown and the description was published in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London from a specimen collected near "King George's Sound, west coast of New Holland".[4][5] The specific epithet (caeruleum) is a Latin word meaning "pertaining to the sea or sky".[6]

Six subspecies are recognised:[7]

[Note: Eleanor Marion Bennett (1942 - ) is an Australian botanist who worked at the Western Australian Herbarium from 1965 -70.][8]

Distribution and habitat

Conospermum caeruleum occurs from Busselton to east of Albany[1] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren biogeographical regions of Western Australia[7] growing on sand, sandy peat, stony clay, laterite or granite in areas that are wet in winter.[9]

Cultivation

Conospermum species, especially the Western Australian ones are difficult to cultivate.[10]

Conservation status

Conospermum caeruleum is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 Bennett, E. M. "Conospermum caeruleum". Flora of Australia Online (derived from Flora of Australia Volumes 16 (1995), 17A (2000) and 17B (1999)). Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2009). Wildflowers of southern Western Australia (3rd ed.). Kenthurst, N.S.W.: Rosenberg Pub. p. 160. ISBN 9781877058844.
  3. ↑ Stone, Lynley M. (2003). "Floral biology and propagation of blue-flowered Conospermum species" (PDF). PhD thesis: 4. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  4. ↑ "Conospermum caeruleum". APNI. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  5. ↑ Brown, Robert (1810). "On the natural order of plants called Proteaceae". Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 10 (1): 144–145. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "caeruleus". Wiktionary. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "Conospermum caerulum". FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.
  8. ↑ "Biographical notes". Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria. 13 November 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  9. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 469. ISBN 0646402439.
  10. ↑ Wrigley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (1983). Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping (2nd ed.). Sydney: Collins. pp. 200–201. ISBN 0002165759.
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