Hakea actites

Hakea actites
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade:Angiosperms
Clade:Eudicots
Order:Proteales
Family:Proteaceae
Genus:Hakea
Species: H. actites
Binomial name
Hakea actites
W.R.Barker

Hakea actites, commonly known as the Mulloway needlebush[1] and the Wallum hakea,[2] is a shrub or tree of the genus Hakea native to areas in north eastern New South Wales and south eastern Queensland.

Description

The prickly shrub or tree has a lignotuber[3] and typically grows to a height of 0.3 to 5 metres (1.0 to 16.4 ft).[1] The light green, cylindrical[3] and glabrescent leaves are terete, 3.5 to 13.5 centimetres (1.4 to 5.3 in) long and 0.3 to 1.3 millimetres (0.0 to 0.1 in) in diameter and crowned with a sharp point. It produces white flowers from May to September[1] Flowering is usually copious and the flowers occur as axillary clusters made up of one to six white flowers.[3] Woody bumpy fruit appear after flowering.[2] The fruit are wrinkled and egg shaped and contain seeds with two wings.[3] It is resembles the better known Hakea sericea.[3]

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described by the botanist William Barker in 1996 as part of the work Novelties and taxonomic notes relating to Hakea (Proteaceae), mainly of eastern Australia as published in the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.[4]

The type specimen was collected from near Angourie on the North Coast of New south Wales.[3]

The specific epithet is taken from the Greek word meaning coast dweller in reference to the locations plant inhabits.[3]

The species is part of the Sericea group, a mostly eastern states group with simple terete leaves, inflorescences containing few flowers, hairy pedicels and single woody fruits. Other members of the group include Hakea constablei, Hakea decurrens, Hakea gibbosa, Hakea lissosperma, Hakea macraeana, Hakea sericea and Hakea tephrosperma among others.[5]

Distribution

H. actites is found in swampy settings in coastal areas from around Hervey Bay in south-eastern Queensland in the north to a little north of Coffs Harbour in New South Wales in the south.[3] It grows well in damp sand to sandy clay soils and is often part of open wallum heathland and Eucalyptus forest communities.[5]

Cultivation

It can be grown from seed[3] and is very hardy suited to coastal areas and provides good protection for small birds.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Hakea actites W.R.Barker". PlantNET. Royal Botanical Gardens. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Wallum hakea". Go Green Rainforest Nursery. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Hakea actites Wallum Hakea". Australian Plants Society, NSW. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  4. ↑ "Hakea actites W.R.Barker". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Hakea actites". Fact Sheet. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
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