Small shrubs. Adult leaves usually pinnatipartite, sometimes pinnate, simple or little-divided; petiole with sheathing base; secondary venation a fine reticulum. Flowers bisexual, in terminal or axillary spikes, each solitary, subtended by a bract. Perianth tubular, zygomorphic, yellow, opening in upper third to half; adaxial tepal longest and broadest, hooded; lateral 2 falcate; abaxial smallest, usually with a small, reflexed tip. Stamens on short, thick filaments; adaxial sterile; 2 lateral 1-locular; abaxial 2-locular; pollen ejected mechanically. Stigma plate-like or narrow, usually 2-lobed and with a narrow, semitranslucent border, dorsally attached from its base to sterile filament by a narrow column; ovary 1-locular, sessile, in all but 1 species with an apical ring of large, translucent glands; ovule 1. Fruit an obovoid, ellipsoidal or cylindrical, crustaceous nut.
Plants sometimes with fire-tolerant rootstock, sometimes suckering. Leaf morphology is extraordinarily varied whereas flower colour is relatively uniform. First seedling and regrowth leaves (in species for which these stages are known) are always simple and entire. In many species, particularly those with inflorescences greatly exceeding the foliage, the spikes elongate markedly during development; in the descriptions below, length of spike and flower density are taken at an early- to mid-flowering stage. The flowers are scentless or in some species possibly faintly scented. At anthesis the anthers and stigma are held tightly together under tension; on being touched, the stigma flicks across and the pollen is ejected (as in Conospermum ). Thus the style end is not a passive pollen presenter as in many Proteaceae. The purpose of the translucent glands on the apex of the ovary is unknown. Pollinators are also unknown. Seed set in most species, even fire-sensitive ones, is low.
For the leaves, only those of flowering stems are described. Upper leaves are usually smaller than lower. In addition to general shape and division, the three-dimensional form of the leaf varies between species: the terms 'flat', 'undulate' and 'multiplanar' are used, the last for leaves in which the lobes (which may be flat or concave) are held in various planes. The appearance of the reticulate leaf venation is described from the dried state when differences between species are more marked than in the fresh state. The tip of the abaxial tepal is usually reflexed and is described only when there is a significant difference from that state. Measurements of floral parts were taken from pickled or soaked flowers. The length of the stigma includes the apical lobes or horns.
| 1 |
Stigma divided to half-way or more into 2 narrow horns |
2
|
| 1: |
Stigma entire to emarginate or 2-lobed to less than a half |
9
|
| 2 |
Leaf lamina deeply divided into linear to lanceolate, obtuse (rarely acute) lobes |
3
|
| 2: |
Leaf lamina entire to dentate or shortly lobed with triangular lobes |
4
|
| 3 |
Shrub to 60 cm tall; petiole to 20 cm long; peduncle to 35 cm long; fruit 5–6 mm long [Perth to Busselton and E to Cape Arid] |
petiolaris
|
| 3: |
Shrub to 1 m tall; petiole often 20–30 cm long; peduncle to 60 cm long; fruit 8–9 mm long [Scott R.] |
nexosa
|
| 4 |
Leaves obovate to oblanceolate |
5
|
| 4: |
Leaves cuneate |
7
|
| 5 |
Adaxial tepal 4.2 mm long; spikes greatly exceeding leaves [Busselton area] |
petiolaris
|
| 5: |
Adaxial tepal 6–6.5 mm long; spikes not or only shortly exceeding leaves |
6
|
| 6 |
Leaves finely pitted; bracts 1.5 mm long; stigma 1.2–1.5 mm long [Rocky Gully to Bremer Bay] |
favosa
|
| 6: |
Leaves shallowly reticulate; bracts 3–3.5 mm long; stigma 1.5–2 mm long [Yallingup to Kojonup] |
floribunda
|
| 7 |
Stigmatic horns divergent [York to Collie] |
cuneata
|
| 7: |
Stigmatic horns erect or incurved |
8
|
| 8 |
Leaves concolorous; bracts 2.5–3 mm long; stigma 1.5–2 mm long [Albany to Stirling Ra. and Fitzgerald R.] |
reticulata
|
| 8: |
Leaves discolorous; bracts 3–6 mm long; stigma 1.7–2.5 mm long [Busselton, Collie] |
hians
|
| 9 |
Leaves pinnatisect [Darling Scarp E of Perth] |
pinnata
|
| 9: |
Leaves pinnatipartite, deeply forked, cuneate or flabelliform, sometimes simple |
10
|
| 10 |
Ovary without apical glands [NE of Eneabba] |
oulopha
|
| 10: |
Ovary with an apical ring of translucent glands |
11
|
| 11 |
Leaves once or twice bifurcate [E of Hyden] |
bifurcata
|
| 11: |
Leaves otherwise |
12
|
| 12 |
Leaves cuneate, flabelliform, narrowly obovate or lanceolate in outline, entire or dentate or lobed to less than one third lamina length |
13
|
| 12: |
Leaves pinnatipartite or tripartite or widely forked or divided |
19
|
| 13 |
Adaxial tepal 6.5–7.5 mm long; abaxial tepal 6–6.5 mm long |
incurva
|
| 13: |
Adaxial tepal 3–6.5 mm long; abaxial tepal 2.8–5.5 mm long |
14
|
| 14 |
Leaves entire or 2–3-lobed, obtusely rounded, not mucronate or pungent [S of Wickepin] |
platyphylla
|
| 14: |
Leaves dentate or multi-lobed, the lobes acute or obtuse, usually mucronate or pungent |
15
|
| 15 |
Adaxial tepal 3–3.5 mm long [Toodyay to Narrogin and Wickepin] |
flabelliformis
|
| 15: |
Adaxial tepal 5–6.5 mm long |
16
|
| 16 |
Stigma 1.5 mm long [N of L. Muir] |
decumbens
|
| 16: |
Stigma 0.7–1.1 mm long |
17
|
| 17 |
Leaves broadly cuneate in outline but 3-lobed; primary lobes also with 2 or 3 dentate lobes; stigma lunate [Nannup area] |
otiostigma
|
| 17: |
Leaves flabelliform, dentate to shortly lobed across apex; stigma trapeziform or transversely oblong |
18
|
| 18 |
Leaf lamina to 10 cm long; peduncle to 12 cm long; stigma shallowly notched [Armadale to Dryandra and Collie] |
damopsis
|
| 18: |
Leaf lamina to 18 cm long; peduncle to 30 cm long; stigma prominently 2-lobed [lower Blackwood R.] |
macrophylla
|
| 19 |
Inflorescence not or shortly exceeding foliage; peduncles all or mostly less than 10 cm long, often less than 5 cm |
20
|
| 19: |
Inflorescence much exceeding foliage; peduncle elongated, usually more than 10 cm long |
40
|
| 20 |
Stems usually less than 20 cm long; at least some petioles 7 cm or longer |
21
|
| 20: |
Stems usually 30–50 cm long; petiole usually less than 4 cm long, rarely some to 8 cm |
30
|
| 21 |
Stigma 1.5–2 mm long |
22
|
| 21: |
Stigma 0.6–1.1 mm long |
23
|
| 22 |
Leaf lobes ±triangular to lanceolate, acute; abaxial tepal 6 mm long [Albany to Stirling Ra.] |
preissii
|
| 22: |
Leaf lobes broadly linear, usually obtusely rounded; abaxial tepal 5–5.5 mm long [Collie to Walpole and Albany, also Lort R.] |
obtusata
|
| 23 |
Stigma 0.3–0.4 mm wide [Moora area] |
quartzitica
|
| 23: |
Stigma 0.7–1.2 mm wide |
24
|
| 24 |
Leaves 3–5 times forked, the lobes curved to flexuose; perianth ±horizontal [Kulin, Nyabing] |
flexuosa
|
| 24: |
Leaves pinnatipartite or once or twice tripartite, the lobes usually straight; perianth ascending |
25
|
| 25 |
Adaxial tepal 4.8–6 mm long; abaxial tepal 3.5–4.2 mm long |
26
|
| 25: |
Adaxial tepal 3.5–4.8 mm long; abaxial tepal 2.8–3.1 mm long |
28
|
| 26 |
Leaves mostly tripartite, the primary lobes also often tripartite, ±flat [S of Hyden] |
tripartita
|
| 26: |
Leaves pinnatipartite, ±multiplanar or very undulate |
27
|
| 27 |
Ultimate leaf lobes linear to lanceolate; adaxial tepal 1.5–2 mm wide; stem appressed-tomentose [Wubin to Frank Hann Natl Park] |
interioris
|
| 27: |
Ultimate leaf lobes broadly triangular; adaxial tepal 2–2.3 mm wide; stem hirsute and spreading-tomentose [Quairading, Corrigin and Katanning] |
drummondii
|
| 28 |
Inflorescence few-flowered, well within foliage [S coast E from Fitzgerald R.] |
oligantha
|
| 28: |
Inflorescence many-flowered, at least partly exserted beyond foliage |
29
|
| 29 |
Leaves multiplanar; peduncle 1–3 cm long; adaxial tepal 4–4.2 mm long [Tarin Rock to Lake Grace] |
parviflora
|
| 29: |
Leaves ±flat; peduncle 2.5–12 cm long; adaxial tepal 4.4–4.8 mm long [Frank Hann Natl Park to Israelite Bay] |
divaricata
|
| 30 |
All leaf lobes 0.5–1.5 mm wide, very concave or channelled above |
31
|
| 30: |
At least primary leaf lobes 2–7 mm wide, if narrower then flat or almost so |
33
|
| 31 |
Perianth glabrous; stigma oblong, 0.4 mm wide [S of Rocky Gully] |
intricata
|
| 31: |
Perianth hairy at least in lower half; stigma ovate, obovate, elliptic, transversely oblong or square, 0.7–1 mm wide |
32
|
| 32 |
Adaxial tepal 5 mm long [Eneabba to Dowerin] |
spinulosa
|
| 32: |
Adaxial tepal 3.8–4.6 mm long [E of Newdegate] |
canaliculata
|
| 33 |
Stigma 0.5–0.6 mm wide, constricted in middle; rachis glabrous or sparsely puberulous [Wongan Hills to Bendering] |
constricta
|
| 33: |
Stigma 0.7–1.7 mm wide, not or slightly constricted; rachis clearly hairy |
34
|
| 34 |
Stigma 1.4–1.8 mm long [Albany to Fitzgerald River Natl Park] |
polymorpha
|
| 34: |
Stigma 0.7–1.2 mm long |
35
|
| 35 |
Stigma minutely emarginate [Mt Lesueur area] |
lesueurensis
|
| 35: |
Stigma broadly and shallowly emarginate to 2-lobed |
36
|
| 36 |
Leaves ±flat, with flat lobes; perianth glabrous, glabrous in upper half only, or sparsely pilose [S of Hyden] |
37
|
| 36: |
Leaves multiplanar to undulate with concave lobes; perianth pubescent to puberulous, sometimes glabrous towards apex |
38
|
| 37 |
Leaf lobes prominently acuminate; adaxial tepal 1.5–1.8 mm wide; stems silky, glabrescent |
cervifolia
|
| 37: |
Leaf lobes shortly acute to obtuse; adaxial tepal 2–2.2 mm wide; stems tomentose |
tripartita
|
| 38 |
Peduncle 4–9 cm long [Coomallo to Badgingarra] |
endothrix
|
| 38: |
Peduncle 1–3.5 cm long |
39
|
| 39 |
Stigma ovate to obovate or transversely elliptic [widespread, Kalbarri to Esperance] |
spinulosa
|
| 39: |
Stigma oblong-trapeziform with slight median constriction [S coast, Cheyne Beach to Howick Hill] |
media
|
| 40 |
Stigma horned, deeply lobed or broadly V-shaped |
41
|
| 40: |
Stigma emarginate to entire |
44
|
| 41 |
Stigmatic lobes reflexed; adaxial tepal 6–6.5 mm long [Northampton area] |
recurva
|
| 41: |
Stigmatic lobes erect; adaxial tepal 3.5–5.5 mm long |
42
|
| 42 |
Leaf lobes rounded [Darling Ra.] |
petiolaris
|
| 42: |
Leaf lobes acute |
43
|
| 43 |
Leaf lobes concave; adaxial tepal 4.5–5 mm long [Pinjarra] |
stenoloba
|
| 43: |
Leaf lobes flat; adaxial tepal 3.5–4 mm long [Byford, Serpentine and S of Bunbury] |
odocoileops
|
| 44 |
Stigma 1.3–2.2 mm long |
45
|
| 44: |
Stigma 0.7–1.2 mm long |
48
|
| 45 |
Stigma not incurved at apex; spikes 2–3 cm long [Whicher Ra.] |
whicherensis
|
| 45: |
Stigma incurved at apex; spikes longer than 3 cm |
46
|
| 46 |
Stigma 1.6–1.7 mm wide; abaxial tepal 4.5 mm long [Boyagin] |
boyaginensis
|
| 46: |
Stigma 1–1.3 mm wide; abaxial tepal 5–6.5 mm long |
47
|
| 47 |
Abaxial tepal 5 mm long; all leaves pinnatipartite; stems pubescent [Muchea to Bindoon] |
grandis
|
| 47: |
Abaxial tepal 6–6.5 mm long; usually pinnatipartite and simple and/or few-lobed leaves present; stems pilose and pubescent [Albany area] |
incurva
|
| 48 |
Ovary glabrous or with a few hairs at base [Mogumber to Calingiri] |
rangiferops
|
| 48: |
Ovary hairy throughout or in lower half |
49
|
| 49 |
Perianth ±horizontal; stigmatic lobes reflexed [Northampton area] |
recurva
|
| 49: |
Perianth ascending; stigmatic lobes erect [S of Mt Adams] |
50
|
| 50 |
Petiole always 7 cm long or less |
51
|
| 50: |
At least some petioles 8–20 cm long or more |
52
|
| 51 |
Stigma ovate, minutely emarginate; adaxial tepal 3.8–5 mm long [Mt Lesueur area] |
lesueurensis
|
| 51: |
Stigma obovate, broadly and shallowly emarginate; adaxial tepal 5.5–6 mm long [Coomallo–Badgingarra] |
endothrix
|
| 52 |
Bracts 2.5–3 mm long [near Eneabba and Gillingarra] |
sparsiflora
|
| 52: |
Bracts 0.8–2 mm long |
53
|
| 53 |
Abaxial tepal 2.3–2.5 mm long; stigma 0.7–0.8 mm wide [Darling Scarp E of Perth] |
acutiloba
|
| 53: |
Abaxial tepal 3–4.5 mm long; stigma 0.9–1.6 mm wide |
54
|
| 54 |
Leaves somewhat flabelliform or cuneate in outline; stem and petiole hirsute |
55
|
| 54: |
Leaves not flabelliform or cuneate in outline; stem and petiole pubescent, puberulous, tomentose or ±glabrous |
56
|
| 55 |
Stigma ±orbicular to ovate, emarginate [between Quairading, Corrigin and Katanning] |
drummondii
|
| 55: |
Stigma broadly lunate, the lobes somewhat bent back [Nannup area] |
otiostigma
|
| 56 |
Leaves finely and deeply reticulate; fruit c. 2 mm long [rare, Tammin area] |
tamminensis
|
| 56: |
Leaves broadly and shallowly reticulate; fruit (where known) 4–7 mm long |
57
|
| 57 |
Stigma almost square to obtrapeziform, 0.9–1.1 mm long, 1.5–1.6 mm wide; adaxial tepal 5.5–6 mm long, 2.5 mm wide; abaxial tepal 4 mm long; leaves glaucous [Chittering to Collie] |
decorticans
|
| 57: |
Flowers not as above; leaves not glaucous |
58
|
| 58 |
Leaf lobes rounded at apex [Walpole to E of Esperance] |
petiolaris
|
| 58: |
Leaf lobes acute to pungent, or if obtuse then not rounded |
59
|
| 59 |
Stigma orbicular to broadly ovate, 1 mm long, 0.9–1 mm wide; adaxial tepal 2–2.2 mm wide; bracts 1.5–1.8 mm long; leaves drying yellowish [Eneabba to Gillingarra] |
aephynsa
|
| 59: |
Stigma transversely oblong-lunate or obtrapeziform; adaxial tepal 1.5–2 mm wide; bracts 1–1.5 mm long; leaves not drying yellowish |
60
|
| 60 |
Ultimate leaf lobes linear to narrowly lanceolate, obtuse to acute; stigma transversely oblong-lunate, 0.8–1 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide; abaxial tepal 3.5–4.5 mm long [common, Bindoon to Margaret R. and Albany] |
gracillima
|
| 60: |
Ultimate leaf lobes triangular, acute to pungent; stigma obtrapeziform, 0.7–0.9 mm long, 0.9–1 mm wide; abaxial tepal 3 mm long [Bindoon to Mogumber] |
panhesya
|
| 61 |
Published since the Flora of Australia treatment |
xela
|
| 61 |
Published since the Flora of Australia treatment |
brachyceras
|