Petrophile longifolia

Long-leaved cone bush
P. longifolia in the Stirling Range.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Petrophile
Species: P. longifolia
Binomial name
Petrophile longifolia

Petrophile longifolia, commonly known as the long-leaved cone bush is a shrub which is native to the south west of Western Australia, growing between the city of Albany and the Stirling Range.[1]

Description

Petrophile longifolia is a ground-hugging shrub without a lignotuber, but with short stems and long (20–40 cm), thin cylindrical leaves with a sharp-pointed end. The flower heads are silky, cream in colour, 4–6 cm across, at the ends of short branches and surrounded by many short, pointed, leaf-like bracts. The flowers appear in late spring and early summer and are followed by long, oval-shaped fruits which, like others of the genus, only release their seeds after a fire or the death of the plant.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Petrophile longifolia was first formally described in 1830 by Robert Brown from a specimen collected in 1829 near King George Sound by William Baxter. The description was published in Supplementum primum Prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae[4] The specific epithet (longifolia) is derived from the Latin words longus meaning "long"[5]:494 and folium meaning "leaf".[5]:466

Distribution and habitat

Long-leaved cone bush is found in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah forest, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren biogeographical regions.[6] It grows in sand, gravel, sandy loam or clay on sandplains.[7]

Cultivation

Petrophile longifolia, like others of its genus is not often cultivated but although it is a western species, is more reliable in humid east coast gardens than many others. It performs best in areas with dry summers and well drained soils in a sunny position.[3]

Conservation status

Petrophile longifolia is not threatened at present.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Petrophile longifolia". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 21 February 2015
  2. ↑ Erickson, Rica; George, Alex; Marchant, Neville; Morcombe, Michael (1982). Flowers and plants of Western Australia (Repr. ed.). Sydney: Reed. p. 61. ISBN 058950116X.
  3. 1 2 "Petrophile longifolia". Australian native plant society (Australia). Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  4. ↑ "Petrophile longifoliaR.Br". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  5. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  6. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 500. ISBN 0646401009.
  7. 1 2 "Petrophile longifoliaR.Br". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
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