Styphelia tecta
| Styphelia tecta | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Styphelia |
| Species: | S. tecta |
| Binomial name | |
| Styphelia tecta | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Styphelia tecta is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a shrub with egg-shaped to broadly lance-shaped leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers with bearded lobes.
Description
Styphelia tecta is a shrub that typically grows up to 30 cm (12 in) high and has a thick, woody trunk has many thick stems. The leaves are egg-shaped to broadly lance-shaped, almost overlapping, 13–19 mm (0.51–0.75 in) long with a short, sharply-pointed tip. The flowers are scarcely longer than the leaves, with bracteoles nearly 4 mm (0.16 in) long at the base. The sepals are 8.5–11 mm (0.33–0.43 in) long, and the petals are white, 13–15 mm (0.51–0.59 in) long and joined at the base forming a tube with bearded lobes.[2]
Taxonomy
This species was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown who gave it the name Astroloma tectum in his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.[3][4] In 1824, Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel transferred the species to Styphelia as S. tecta.[5] The specific epithet (tecta) means "hidden" or "concealed", referring to the inconspicuous flowers.[6]
Distribution
This species grows in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee bioregions of southern Western Australia.[7]
Conservation status
Styphelia striata is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Styphelia tecta". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ Bentham, George (1868). Flora Australiensis. Vol. 4. London: Lovell Reeve & Co. p. 154. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ "Astroloma tectum". APNI. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. London. p. 538. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ "Styphelia tecta". APNI. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 320. ISBN 9780958034180.
- ^ a b "Styphelia tecta". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.