Hakea teretifolia
Encyclopedia
Hakea teretifolia, commonly known as the Dagger Hakea, is a species of woody shrub of the Proteaceae
family common on heathlands in coastal Eastern Australia
from Northern New South Wales through to Victoria and Tasmania. A very prickly shrub, it is rarely cultivated but easy to grow.
, then taxonomically correctly as Hakea glabra by Heinrich Schrader
in 1797 in his newly described genus Hakea. Conchium longifolium was another subsequent name and Antonio José Cavanilles
called it Hakea pugioniformis. The original specific epithet teretifolia is derived from the Latin
teres "rounded" and folium "leaf". The full name for the species is therefore Hakea teretifolia (Salisb.) Britten
It was classified in Hakea sect. Hakea series Pubiflorae by George Bentham
in his Flora Australiensis
, but was reclassified on its own in the Teretifolia group in the 1999 Flora of Australia treatment.
Two closely related subspecies are recognised, the nominate subspecies teretifolia and H. t subsp. hirsuta.
. Flowering occurs in summer though some may be seen in winter. The small white inflorescence
s occur on branches and consist of 4-8 individual small flowers. These are followed by sharp pointed (dagger-shaped) seed pods from where the plant gets its common name.
Subspecies hirsuta can be distinguished by its more densely hairy perianths and pedicels.
region to the Budawang Range
in New South Wales. Subsp. hirsuta occurs further south from the Sydney region through to Tasmania with a separate population in the Grampians
in western Victoria.
It is found on sandstone soil-based heathland, and can form dense thickets with the Heath Banksia (Banksia ericifolia
) and Scrub She-oak (Allocasuarina distyla
);
s. It can also prove a prickly deterrent for burglars.
Proteaceae
Proteaceae is a family of flowering plants distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises about 80 genera with about 1600 species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae they make up the order Proteales. Well known genera include Protea, Banksia, Embothrium, Grevillea,...
family common on heathlands in coastal Eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from Northern New South Wales through to Victoria and Tasmania. A very prickly shrub, it is rarely cultivated but easy to grow.
Taxonomy
It has a complicated taxonomic history; initially named as Banksia teretifolia by Richard SalisburyRichard Anthony Salisbury
Richard Anthony Salisbury FRS was a British botanist. While he is remembered as a valuable worker in horticultural and botanical sciences, several bitter disputes caused him to be ostracised by his contemporaries.-Life:...
, then taxonomically correctly as Hakea glabra by Heinrich Schrader
Heinrich Schrader (botanist)
Heinrich Adolf Schrader was a German botanist and mycologist. He studied medicine early in life. He named the Australian plant genus Hakea in 1797.Schrader was elected a corresponding member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1815....
in 1797 in his newly described genus Hakea. Conchium longifolium was another subsequent name and Antonio José Cavanilles
Antonio José Cavanilles
Antonio José Cavanilles was a leading Spanish taxonomic botanist of the 18th century. He named many plants, particularly from Oceania, his name is abbreviated as Cav...
called it Hakea pugioniformis. The original specific epithet teretifolia is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
teres "rounded" and folium "leaf". The full name for the species is therefore Hakea teretifolia (Salisb.) Britten
It was classified in Hakea sect. Hakea series Pubiflorae by George Bentham
George Bentham
George Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
in his Flora Australiensis
Flora Australiensis
Flora Australiensis: a description of the plants of the Australian Territory, more commonly referred to as Flora Australiensis, and also known by its standard abbreviation Fl. Austral., is a seven-volume flora of Australia published between 1863 and 1878 by George Bentham, with the assistance of...
, but was reclassified on its own in the Teretifolia group in the 1999 Flora of Australia treatment.
Two closely related subspecies are recognised, the nominate subspecies teretifolia and H. t subsp. hirsuta.
Description
A prickly shrub, it can reach 3 m (10 ft) in height. It has spirally arranged thick tough succulent spike-tipped leavesLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
. Flowering occurs in summer though some may be seen in winter. The small white inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s occur on branches and consist of 4-8 individual small flowers. These are followed by sharp pointed (dagger-shaped) seed pods from where the plant gets its common name.
Subspecies hirsuta can be distinguished by its more densely hairy perianths and pedicels.
Distribution and habitat
H. teretifolia subsp. teretifolia ranges from Coffs Harbour south through the SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
region to the Budawang Range
Budawang Range
The Budawangs are a rugged mountain range largely located within the Budawang National Park and Morton National Park in New South Wales, Australia. The Budawangs have been declared a Wilderness Area. The Budawangs are very popular with bush walkers due to their impressive terrain and unique features...
in New South Wales. Subsp. hirsuta occurs further south from the Sydney region through to Tasmania with a separate population in the Grampians
Grampians National Park
The Grampians National Park is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 235 kilometres west of Melbourne. The Park was listed on the Australian National Heritage List on 15 December 2006 for its outstanding natural beauty and being one of the richest indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern...
in western Victoria.
It is found on sandstone soil-based heathland, and can form dense thickets with the Heath Banksia (Banksia ericifolia
Banksia ericifolia
Banksia ericifolia, the Heath-leaved Banksia , is a species of woody shrub of the Proteaceae family native to Australia. It grows in two separate regions of Central and Northern New South Wales east of the Great Dividing Range...
) and Scrub She-oak (Allocasuarina distyla
Allocasuarina distyla
Allocasuarina distyla, or Scrub She-Oak, is a shrub or small tree of the She-oak family Casuarinaceae endemic to New South Wales....
);
Cultivation
It is rarely cultivated but an easy plant to grow provided it has a sunny aspect. Unlike many other proteaceae it can be tolerant of poor drainage. It s extremely prickly foliage can make a good deterrent. When planted in clumps, this species provides an excellent shelter for small birds such as Superb Fairywrens (Malurus superbus) and the smaller sized honeyeaterHoneyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
s. It can also prove a prickly deterrent for burglars.