Hakea leucoptera subsp. leucoptera
| Needlebush | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Hakea |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | H. l. subsp. leucoptera
|
| Trinomial name | |
| Hakea leucoptera subsp. leucoptera | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Hakea leucoptera subsp. leucoptera commonly known as silver needlewood, needlewood, needle bush, needle hakea[3] or kulua,[4] is a shrub or small tree with cylinder-shaped leaves, white or cream flowers, white, woolly hairs on the flower stalks and grows in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory.
Description
Hakea leucoptera subsp. leucoptera is tree or shrub 1–8 m (3 ft 3 in – 26 ft 3 in) high, usually upright with an open crown. Leaves are arranged alternately, stiff, terete, 3.5–10 cm (1.4–3.9 in) long, 1.3–2 m (4 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in) wide, hairy, grey-green and ending a sharp point. Whit or cream flowers are borne clusters of 18-45 on a pedicel 2–6.5 cm (0.79–2.56 in) long. Flowering occurs from late spring to summer and the fruit is a woody capsule 17–32 mm (0.67–1.26 in) long, mostly smooth, occasionally warty and tapering to a narrow beak.[5][6]
Taxonomy and naming
Hakea leucoptera was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London.[2][7] In 1996 William Baker described two subspecies of H. leucoptera including this subspecies and subspecies sericipes.[8]The specific epithet (leucoptera) means 'winged' in reference to the seed.[9]
Distribution and habitat
It is found in western New South Wales, north-western Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory. It grows in grassland, shrubland and woodland.[3][4]
References
- ^ "Hakea leucoptera subsp. leucoptera". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Hakea leucoptera". APNI. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- ^ a b Barker, Robyn M.; Haegi, Laurie; Barker, William Robert. "Hakea leucoptera R.Br. subsp. leucoptera". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- ^ a b Stajsic, Val. "Hakea leucoptera subsp. leucoptera". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- ^ Holliday, Ivan (2005). Hakeas a Field an Garden Guide. Reed New Holland. ISBN 1-877069-14-0.
- ^ Kutsche, Frank; Lay, Brendan; Croft, Tim; Kellermann, Jurgen (2013). Plants of Outback South Australia. Adelaide: State Herbarium of South Australia. p. 100. ISBN 9781922027603.
- ^ Brown, Robert (1810). "On the natural order of plants called Proteaceae". Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. 10 (1): 180. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- ^ Baker, William R. (1996). "Novelties and taxonomic notes relating to Hakea Sect. Hakea (Proteaceae), mainly of eastern Australia" (PDF). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. 17: 180–182. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- ^ George, A.S; Sharr, F.A (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and their meanings (4th ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables. p. 246. ISBN 9780958034197.