Calothamnus glaber is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas in the south-west of Western Australia. (In 2014 Craven, Edwards and Cowley proposed that the species be renamed Melaleuca glabra.)[4] It is a shrub, similar to Calothamnus blepharospermus but its leaves are slightly longer and narrower and the parts of its flowers are glabrous.
| Calothamnus glaber | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Calothamnus |
| Species: | C. glaber
|
| Binomial name | |
| Calothamnus glaber | |
| Synonyms | |
Description edit
Calothamnus glaber is a shrub growing to a height of 2–3 metres (7–10 ft) with leaves 50–75 millimetres (2.0–3.0 in) in length, 6 millimetres (0.2 in) wide and very narrow egg-shaped with the narrow end towards the base, the other end tapering to a sharp point.[5]
The flowers are bright red and arranged in small clusters amongst the older leaves and mostly on one side of the stem. The outer edge of the flower cup (the hypanthium) and the sepals are glabrous. The petals are 2.5–3 millimetres (0.098–0.12 in) long and have a jagged edge. The stamens are arranged in claw-like bundles 22–25 millimetres (0.87–0.98 in) long. Flowering is followed by fruits which are woody capsules, 5–6 millimetres (0.20–0.24 in) long.[5]
Taxonomy and naming edit
Calothamnus blepharosperma var. glabra was first formally described in 1867 by George Bentham.[1] Trevor Hawkeswood annotated the herbarium sheets and Alex George raised the variety to species status in 2010.[6] The specific epithet glaber is a Latin word meaning without hair, smooth.[7]
Distribution edit
Calothamnus glaber occurs in the Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Geraldton Sandplains, Swan Coastal Plain and Yalgoo biogeographic regions.[8]
Conservation edit
Calothamnus glaber is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[8]
References edit
- ^ a b "Calothamnus glaber". APNI. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "Melaleuca glabra". APNI. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "Calothamnus blepharospermus var. glaber". APNI. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ Craven, Lyn A.; Edwards, Robert D.; Cowley, Kirsten J. (30 June 2014). "New combinations and names in Melaleuca (Myrtaceae)". Taxon. 63 (3): 666. doi:10.12705/633.38.
- ^ a b Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1867). Flora Australiensis. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. pp. 175–176. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ George, Alex S. (2010). "Calothamnus (Myrtaceae): precursor paper to Flora of Australia" (PDF). Nuytsia. 20: 190. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 722.
- ^ a b "Calothamnus glaber". FloraBase. Retrieved 26 July 2015.