Beaufortia orbifolia, commonly known as Ravensthorpe bottlebrush,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with round, dished leaves crowded on the younger stems, and bright red flower spikes. It is found in laterite hills near Ravensthorpe. It is distinguished from other beaufortias by having green stamen bundles with the free ends red.
| Ravensthorpe bottlebrush | |
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| Beaufortia orbifolia leaves and flowers | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Beaufortia |
| Species: | B. orbifolia
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| Binomial name | |
| Beaufortia orbifolia | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Melaleuca orbifolia (Muell.) Craven & R.D.Edwards | |
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Description
editBeaufortia orbifolia is an erect, sometimes open, spreading shrub which grows to a height of about 3 m (10 ft). The leaves are arranged in alternate pairs (decussate), so that, especially on the younger branches, they make four rows along the stems. The leaves are flat or slightly dished, broad egg-shaped to round, 4.5–6 mm (0.18–0.24 in) long and have 5 or 7 veins.[2][3][4][5][6]
The flowers are red and green and are arranged in bottlebrush-like spikes about 40 mm (2 in) in diameter and 60 mm (2 in) long on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. The flowers have 5 sepals, 5 petals and 5 bundles of stamens. The stamen bundles contain 3 to 7 stamens, are green in their lower half and red in the upper and joined for about half of their length. Flowering occurs from August to January and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules in roughly spherical or cylindrical clusters.[2][4][5][6]
Taxonomy and naming
editBeaufortia orbifolia was first formally described in 1862 by Victorian government botanist, Ferdinand von Mueller in Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae from a specimen collected on the slopes of East Mount Barren by George Maxwell.[7] The specific epithet (orbifolia) is derived from the Latin orbis meaning "a circle"[8]: 205 and folium meaning "a leaf".[8]: 466
Distribution and habitat
editBeaufortia orbifolia mainly occurs near Ravensthorpe in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions.[2] It usually grows in soils derived from laterite or granite on stony plains.[9]
Conservation
editBeaufortia orbifolia is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b "Beaufortia orbifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Beaufortia orbifolia". FloraBase. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ "Beaufortia orbifolia". Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ a b Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2009). Wildflowers of southern Western Australia (3rd ed.). Kenthurst, N.S.W.: Rosenberg Publishing. p. 114. ISBN 9781877058844.
- ^ a b Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1867). Flora Australiensis. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. pp. 166–167. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ a b Burbidge, Andrew A. (2016). "A taxonomic revision of Beaufortia (Myrtaceae: Melaleuceae)". Nuytsia. 27: 190–191.
- ^ "Beaufortia orbifolia". APNI. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ a b Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
- ^ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 350. ISBN 0646402439.