Calothamnus robustus is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with cylindrical leaves and small clusters of red flowers in spring, followed by fruits with have two prominent lobes.
| Calothamnus robustus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Calothamnus robustus at Cape Riche | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Calothamnus |
| Species: | C. robustus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Calothamnus robustus | |
| Synonyms | |
Description edit
Calothamnus robustus is a compact, erect shrub growing to about 0.5–1.5 metres (1.6–4.9 ft) tall. Its leaves are circular in cross section but are not prickly.[1][2]
The flowers are red and arranged in clusters of 3 to 5. Unlike some others in the genus, the flowers and fruit are never buried in corky bark. The flowers have 4 sepals which are densely hairy on their outer surface. There are 4 petals and the stamens are joined in 4 narrow, claw-like bundles which are all roughly the same length. Flowering occurs mainly from September to November, sometimes in other months and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules. The fruiting capsules have two prominently thickened lobes.[1][2]
Taxonomy and naming edit
Calothamnus robustus was first formally described by Johannes Schauer in 1843 in Dissertatio phytographica de Regelia, Beaufortia et Calothamno from a specimen collected in the foothills of Mount Melville near Cape Riche.[3] The specific epithet is a Latin word meaning "hard and strong like oak".[4]
Distribution and habitat edit
Calothamnus robustus occurs near Albany in the Esperance Plains biogeographic region[2] growing in rocky soils derived from quartzite or granite.[5]
Conservation edit
Calothamnus robustus is classified as "Priority Three" by the Western Australian government department of parks and wildlife[2] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.[6]
References edit
- ^ a b Hawkeswood, Trevor J. (1984). "Nine new species of Calothamnus Labill. (Myrtaceae: Leptospermoideae) from Western Australia" (PDF). Nuytsia. 5 (1): 124–125. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Calothamnus robustus". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Calothamnus robustus". APNI. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
- ^ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 766.
- ^ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 351. ISBN 0646402439.
- ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 11 July 2019.