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Conospermum caeruleum

Conospermum caeruleum, commonly known as blue brother, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with small, dense heads of blue, rarely pink flowers and usually grows in heavy soils subject to flooding.

Blue brother
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Conospermum
Species:
C. caeruleum
Binomial name
Conospermum caeruleum
Synonyms[1]

Connospermum coeruleum B.D.Jacks. orth. var.

Description

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It grows as a prostrate or straggly shrub usually growing to a height of about 0.5–1.0 metre (2–3 ft) and a spread of up to 2 metres (7 ft). The leaves are clustered at the base of the stem, have a stalk 5–60 millimetres (0.2–2 in) and a leaf blade that is thread-like to egg-shaped and 14–148 millimetres (0.6–6 in). The leaves have prominent veins and end abruptly in a sharp point. The flowers are arranged in dense clusters of up to 18 tube-like blue flowers, each about 5–8 millimetres (0.2–0.3 in) long. Flowers appear between July and October and are followed by the fruit which is a nut about 2 millimetres (0.08 in) long and 2–2.5 millimetres (0.08–0.1 in) wide.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy

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Conospermum caeruleum was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London from a specimen collected near "King George's Sound, west coast of New Holland".[5][6] The specific epithet (caeruleum) is a Latin word meaning "sky-blue".[7]

Six subspecies are recognised by the Australian Plant Census as at November 2020:

  • Conospermum caeruleum R.Br. subsp. caeruleum[8]
  • Conospermum caeruleum subsp. contortum E.M.Benn.[9]
  • Conospermum caeruleum subsp. debile (Kippist ex Meisn.) E.M.Benn.[10]
  • Conospermum caeruleum subsp. marginatum (Meisn.) E.M.Benn.[11]
  • Conospermum caeruleum subsp. oblanceolatum E.M.Benn.[12]
  • Conospermum caeruleum subsp. spathulatum Benth. E.M.Benn.[13]

Distribution and habitat

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Conospermum caeruleum occurs from Busselton to east of Albany[2] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren biogeographical regions of Western Australia[14] growing on sand, sandy peat, stony clay, laterite or granite in areas that are wet in winter.[15]

Use in horticulture

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Conospermum species, especially the Western Australian ones are difficult to cultivate.[16]

Conservation status

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Conospermum caeruleum is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.[14]

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  •  
    C. caeruleum subsp.caeruleum
  •  
    C. caeruleum subsp.caeruleum

References

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  1. ^ a b "Conospermum caeruleum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b Bennett, E. M. "Conospermum caeruleum". Flora of Australia Online (derived from Flora of Australia Volumes 16 (1995), 17A (2000) and 17B (1999)). Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  3. ^ Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2009). Wildflowers of southern Western Australia (3rd ed.). Kenthurst, N.S.W.: Rosenberg Pub. p. 160. ISBN 9781877058844.
  4. ^ Stone, Lynley M. (2003). "Floral biology and propagation of blue-flowered Conospermum species" (PDF). PhD Thesis: 4. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Conospermum caeruleum". APNI. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  6. ^ Brown, Robert (1810). "On the natural order of plants called Proteaceae". Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. 10 (1): 144–145. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  7. ^ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 177.
  8. ^ "Conospermum caeruleum subsp. caeruleum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Conospermum caeruleum subsp. contortum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Conospermum caeruleum subsp. debile". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Conospermum caeruleum subsp. marginatum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  12. ^ "Conospermum caeruleum subsp. oblanceolatum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Conospermum caeruleum subsp. spathulatum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Conospermum caerulum". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  15. ^ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 469. ISBN 0646402439.
  16. ^ Wrigley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (1983). Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping (2nd ed.). Sydney: Collins. pp. 200–201. ISBN 0002165759.
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