Biology:Leucopogon fletcheri
| Leucopogon fletcheri | |
|---|---|
| |
| In Namadgi National Park | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Leucopogon |
| Species: | L. fletcheri
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| Binomial name | |
| Leucopogon fletcheri Maiden & Betche[1]
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| |
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Styphelia fletcheri (Maiden & Betche) Maiden & Betche | |
Leucopogon fletcheri is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a densely-branched shrub with sharply-pointed oblong leaves, and pendent, tube-shaped white flowers in pairs in upper leaf axils.
Description
Leucopogon fletcheri is a densely-branched shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) and has rough-textured branchlets. Its leaves are oblong to linear and sharply pointed, 3.7–8 mm (0.15–0.31 in) long and 1.4–3.1 mm (0.055–0.122 in) wide on a petiole up to 0.3 mm (0.012 in) long. The flowers are white and pendent, arranged singly, in pairs or threes in upper leaf axils on a peduncle up to 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long, with bracteoles 1.2–1.6 mm (0.047–0.063 in) long at the base. The sepals are 2.6–4.7 mm (0.10–0.19 in) long, the petal tube 2.6–4.8 mm (0.10–0.19 in) long and softly hairy above the middle, the lobes 2.4–3.8 mm (0.094–0.150 in) long. Flowering occurs from August to October and the fruit is a glabrous, egg-shaped to elliptic drupe 3.0–5.3 mm (0.12–0.21 in) long.[2]
Taxonomy
Leucopogon fletcheri was first formally described in 1897 by Joseph Maiden and Ernst Betche in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales from specimens collected near Springwood by Joseph James Fletcher in September 1887.[3][4]
In 1993, Jocelyn Marie Powell and G.Robertson described subspecies brevisepalus in the journal Telopea and the name, and that of the autonym, are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:[5]
- Leucopogon fletcheri Maiden & Betche subsp. brevisepalus[6] typically grows to a height of 0.3–1.0 m (1 ft 0 in–3 ft 3 in), has leaves 3.7–7.8 mm (0.15–0.31 in) long and 1.7–3.1 mm (0.067–0.122 in) wide, a petal tube 2.6–3.9 mm (0.10–0.15 in) long, the lobes 2.4–3.1 mm (0.094–0.122 in) long and fruit 3.0–3.4 mm (0.12–0.13 in) long.[5]
- Leucopogon fletcheri subsp. fletcheri Maiden & Betche[7] typically grows to a height of 1.5–1.8 m (4 ft 11 in–5 ft 11 in), has leaves 4.5–8.0 mm (0.18–0.31 in) long and 1.4–1.9 mm (0.055–0.075 in) wide, a petal tube 3.5–4.8 mm (0.14–0.19 in) long, the lobes 2.8–3.8 mm (0.11–0.15 in) long and fruit 4.7–5.0 mm (0.19–0.20 in) long.[5]
Distribution and habitat
This leucopogon grows in woodland in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and in montane and subalpine areas of eastern Victoria where it is known as Styphelia fletcheri subsp. brevisepala.[2][5][8] Subspecies fletcheri grows in woodland and shrubland, but is restricted to the area between St Albans and Annangrove in north-western Sydney.[2][5][9]
Conservation status
Leucopogon fletcheri is listed as "endangered" under the New South Wales Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. The main threats to the subspecies include habitat loss and fragmentation, inappropriate fire regimes and weed invasion.[9]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Leucopogon fletcheri". Australian Plant Census. https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/99323.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Powell, Jocelyn M.. "Leucopogon fletcheri". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Leucopogon~fletcheri.
- ↑ "Leucopogon fletcheri". APNI. https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/525833. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ↑ Maiden, Joseph; Betche, Ernst (1897). "Description of three new species of Australian plants.". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 22 (1): 152. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/22896#page/164/mode/1up. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Powell, Jocelyn M.; Robertson, G. (1993). "New species and subspecies of Leucopogon (Epacridaceae) in New South Wales.". Telopea 5 (2): 391–397. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/264699#page/103/mode/1up. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ↑ "Leucopogon fletcheri subsp. brevisepalus". Australian Plant Census. https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/11918.
- ↑ "Leucopogon fletcheri subsp. fletcheri". Australian Plant Census. https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/179716.
- ↑ Messina, Andre; Klazenga, Niels. "Styphelia fletcheri subsp. brevisepala". https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/ebd0df9f-15b2-45e5-a11d-a40d0e4c109c.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Leucopogon fletcheri subsp. fletcheri - profile". New South Wales Government Office of Environment and Heritage. https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10474.
Wikidata ☰ Q6534228 entry
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