Flora of Denmark WA - Leucopogon

Leucopogon means white beard.

The following table lists the Leucopogon species which are shown by Florabase to have been collected in Denmark Shire. The second column shows whether the species was included in the book Flora of the South West and under what name if different. If the species was described after Flora of the South West was published, the paper describing the species is noted. Where a species is not included in Flora of the South West I have endeavored to provide some sort of description after the table.

L. decrescens

Only one collection so far in Denmark which was in the Nutcracker Road area. This was in 4/2003 and the plant was flowering.

L. gibbosus

At the time Flora of the South West was published there was only one collection, dating from the 1800s, of this species in Denmark Shire. That may be why it was excluded from the book. There has subsequently been a further collection identified in the north of the shire.

The Florabase profile for the species includes quite good photos.

The following description is from Flora Australiensis by George Bentham (1868) vol. 4 page 189.

An erect bushy shrub of 1 to 2 ft. (30–60cm), the branchlets pubescent. Leaves broadly orbicular, obtuse or with a small reflexed point, very convex with recurved margins, mostly reflexed and rarely above 1 line (2.5mm) diameter. Spikes short and dense, terminal or in the upper axils. Bracteoles thin, broad, ciliate, hirsute, more than half as long as the calyx. Sepals ciliate and hirsute, almost acute, about 1 line (2.5mm) long. Corolla-tube very short; lobes about 1 line (2.5mm) long. Anthers attached above the middle, with very short sterile tips. Hypogynous scales truncate, distinct or slightly cohering. Ovary in all the flowers examined 3-celled; style short.

L. interstans

The name interstans means standing in between. This refers to the species being somewhat intermediate between L. australis and L. capitellatus.

Shrub to 1.5m. Leaves 13–53 mm long, 1.3–5 mm wide with scabrous margins (unlike L.australis). Inflorescence erect, terminal and upperaxillary; axis 7–23 mm long, with 5–14 flowers. Sepals tinged reddish purple when in flower. Corolla tube white, about as long to distinctly shorter than sepals, 1–1.6 mm long, 1.5–1.8 mm wide, glabrous externally and internally. Corolla lobes white, often partially tinged pink or sometimes pink throughout, longer than the tube and densly bearded.

L. obovatus

Obovatus means opposite of egg shape ie obovate with the broadest part above the middle and refers to the leaves.

Revolutus refers to the revolute (curled back) leaf margins - both sub species exhibit this characteristic.

Ssp. obovatus has very short hairs (approx. 0.1 mm) on the branchlets whereas ssp. revolutus has a similar layer of short hairs and a further layer of longer hairs (0.3–1 mm). The lower surface of the leaves may also have similar hairs.

Denmark is in the integrade zone for the 2 subspecies so it may be difficult to differentiate between them. Ssp. revolutus is likely to be more common based on the distribution shown by Florabase.

L. rubricaulis

Rubricaulis means red stemmed.

L. sp. “Southern Forests”

I believe this is a phrase name used by the Western Australian Herbarium (and therefore Florabase) for L. unilateralis specimens from outside the Stirling and Porongurup Ranges. I do not know what distinguishes the two species other than location. Other herbariums continue to call such specimens L. unilateralis and there is a record on Australian Virtual Herbarium for a collection which includes a scan of the specimen. The sepals on this specimen are quite pointed and long in relation to the corolla tube.

There is a specimen in B.G. Hamersley’s herbarium labled L. unilateralis.

Note L. unilateralis and so presumably this species, has a longer style than the other Leucopogon species which were not transferred to the Styphelia genus. The style is exserted but probably only to the point where the corolla lobes bend over.

L. tamariscinus

There is a photo of this species on Flickr which was posted by Kevin Thiele, a botanist. There is also a specimen in B.G. Hammersley’s herbarium.

The following description is from Flora Australiensis by George Bentham (1868) vol. 4 page 196.

An erect shrub of 2 to 3 ft. (60–90cm), with virgate branches and often numerous short branchlets, glaborous or sprinkled with a few hairs. Leaves erect, ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, concave, often dilated near the base and almost embracing the stem, the larger ones on the main branches often 2 to 3 lines (5–7.5mm) long, those on the smaller, slender branchlets under 1 line (2.5mm), all usually turning black in drying, and the upper ones passing into the bracts. Spikes terminal, cylindrical and slender, many-flowered, 1/2 to 1 in. (12.5–25mm) long. Bracts like the stem-leaves, but smaller; bractcoles broad, shortly acuminate, not half so long as the calyx. Sepals under 1 line (2.5mm) long, rather acute. Corolla 1 1/4 to nearly 1 1/2 lines (3–4mm) long, the lobes equal to or rather longer than the tube. Anthers attached below the minute sterile tips. Hypogynous disk obtusely lobed or the scales quite distinct. Ovary 2-celled; style short.

Posted on June 1, 2023 12:37 PM by boobook99