Hakea cygna

Hakea cygna is an upright non-lignotuberous shrub growing to 0.4–2 m (1–7 ft) high. The smaller branches are densely covered in flattened silky hairs at flowering time. The leaves are variable, they may be flat and thick, narrowly egg-shaped widest in the middle, more or less needle-shaped or triangular in cross-section. Leaves are smooth 2–7.5 cm (0.79–3.0 in) long and 1.2–9 mm (0.047–0.35 in) wide with prominent veins on the leaf margin. The upper side of the leaves has 1-3 obscure longitudinal veins, the underside veins barely visible. The inflorescence consists of 6-14 creamy-white flowers in racemes, appearing upright and singly in leaf axils. The cream-white pedicels are smooth, rarely with soft short flattened hairs. The perianth a cream-white and the style is 5.5–7 mm (0.22–0.28 in) long. The oval to egg-shaped fruit are 2.1–3.7 cm (0.83–1.5 in) long and 1.2–2 cm (0.47–0.79 in) wide growing at an angle on a short thick stalk. The fruit is barely beaked but has a short prominent point. The seed are pale brown with darker streaks are broadly egg-shaped to almost triangular or circular and 12–20 mm (0.47–0.79 in) long. Flowers appear either from May to June or August to September.[2][3][4][5][6]

Hakea cygna was first formally described by Byron Barnard Lamont in 1987 and published in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.[1] The specific epithet (cygna) is derived from the Latin word cygnus meaning "swan",[2][7] referring to the shape of the fruit believed to resemble that of a swan. Two subspecies of Hakea cygna have been recognised.

• Hakea cygna subsp. cygna has flat, thick, linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves 2.5–9 mm (0.098–0.35 in) wide. Restricted to an area south of Lake King.

• Hakea cygna subsp. needlei has variable leaves either narrowly linear, needle-shaped or triangular in cross-section and 1.2–2 mm (0.047–0.079 in) wide.

Hakea cygna is widely distributed from Geraldton to Ravensthorpe in the south-east and east to Cape Arid. Grows in heath or mallee-heath on gravelly loams, sandy loams, white yellow or grey sand, often over laterite.[3]

• Subspecies cygna is widespread from Eneabba in the north to the wheatbelt region of Western Australia to Merredin and south to Esperance.[2][3]
• Subspecies needlei has a restricted distribution with scattered populations just south of Lake King and in the Pallarup Nature Reserve.[2][3]

Hakea cygna subsp. needlei is classified as "Priority Two" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife[5] meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations.[8]