Petrophile pulchella
Encyclopedia
Petrophile pulchella, known as conesticks, is a common shrub of the family proteaceae
found in eastern Australia
. It is found growing on shallow sandstone soils, often in open forest or heathlands near the coast. It is also occasionally seen on the adjacent ranges.
, and the shrub first described by Heinrich Schrader
and Johann Christoph Wendland
in 1796 as Protea pulchella. The prolific botanist Robert Brown
reclassified it in the new genus Petrophile. The specific epithet pulchella meaning “beautiful” is derived from Latin, although noted plant author John Wrigley feels it to be somewhat of a misnomer. Joseph Knight
, who had propagated and cultivated it successfully in England by 1809, reported, "It has few claims to a place in our collections."
, which has its flowerheads on longer stalks 1 to 3 cm (0.393700787401575 to 1.2 in) long. The two other species in eastern Australia, P. canescens
and P. sessilis
, both have finely hairy new growth.
), smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata
) or more open woodland e.g. with scribbly gum (Eucalyptus sclerophylla
), silvertop ash (E. sieberi
) or heathland with shrubs such as mountain devil (Lambertia formosa
), broad-leaved drumsticks (Isopogon anemonifolius
) and paperbark tea-tree (Leptospermum trinervium
).
found that Petrophile pulchella had greater reproductive output in areas that had had two short intervals of under seven years between fires, over areas that had had one short interval, and that plants in these latter areas had greater reproductive output than areas with no intervals under seven years between fires. Seeds can germinate up to 700 days after a bushfire, and it is possible that the seedbank could theoretically last up to 90 years between fires.
Native bees are possible pollinators of this species.
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,...
found in 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...
. It is found growing on shallow sandstone soils, often in open forest or heathlands near the coast. It is also occasionally seen on the adjacent ranges.
Taxonomy
The original specimen was collected at Botany BayBotany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
, and the shrub first described 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....
and Johann Christoph Wendland
Johann Christoph Wendland
Johann Christoph Wendland was a German botanist and gardener who was a native of Petit-Landau, Alsace. His son- Heinrich Ludolph Wendland and his grandson- Hermann Wendland were also gardeners and botanists.As a young man he received an education in horticulture at the nursery of Karlsruhe Palace...
in 1796 as Protea pulchella. The prolific botanist Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
reclassified it in the new genus Petrophile. The specific epithet pulchella meaning “beautiful” is derived from Latin, although noted plant author John Wrigley feels it to be somewhat of a misnomer. Joseph Knight
Joseph Knight (horticulturist)
Joseph Knight , gardener to George Hibbert, was one of the first people in England to successfully propagate Proteaceae...
, who had propagated and cultivated it successfully in England by 1809, reported, "It has few claims to a place in our collections."
Description
Petrophile pulchella grows as a shrub, which can reach 3 metres (9.8 ft) high in sheltered locations and around 50 centimetres (19.7 in) in exposed heathland. The fine divided leaves average 4 to 10 cm (1.6 to 3.9 in) in length and are needle-shaped but soft rather than sharp-tipped. The new growth is glabrous (smooth). The cream-yellow inflorescences are roughly egg-shaped and appear in spring and summer. They are either sessile or on short stalks up to 1 centimetre (0.393700787401575 in) long. This distinguishes the species from P. pedunculataPetrophile pedunculata
Petrophile pedunculata, known as conesticks, is a common shrub of the family proteaceae found in eastern Australia. It is found growing on shallow sandstone soils, often in open forest or heathlands. It can be distinguished from the related Petrophile pulchella as its flowerheads are on peduncles...
, which has its flowerheads on longer stalks 1 to 3 cm (0.393700787401575 to 1.2 in) long. The two other species in eastern Australia, P. canescens
Petrophile canescens
Petrophile canescens, known as conesticks, is a common shrub of the family proteaceae found in eastern Australia. It is found growing on deep sandy soils, often in open forest or heathlands. It can be distinguished from the related Petrophile pulchella by its finely hairy new growth....
and P. sessilis
Petrophile sessilis
Petrophile sessilis, known as prickly conesticks, is a shrub of the family proteaceae found in eastern Australia. It is found growing on sandstone soils, often in open forest or heathlands. It can be distinguished from the related Petrophile pulchella by its finely hairy new growth....
, both have finely hairy new growth.
Distribution and habitat
Petrophile pulchella is found on nutrient poor sandstone soils in open sclerophyll forest with trees such as Sydney peppermint (Eucalyptus piperitaEucalyptus piperita
Eucalyptus piperita, commonly known as Sydney Peppermint and Urn-fruited Peppermint, is a small to medium forest tree native to New South Wales, Australia.-Description:...
), smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata
Angophora costata
Angophora costata is a common woodland and forest tree of Eastern Australia and is known by a variety of names including smooth-barked apple, rose gum, rose apple or Sydney red gum. It grows primarily on sandstone soils, usually on headlands, plateaus or other elevated areas. A...
) or more open woodland e.g. with scribbly gum (Eucalyptus sclerophylla
Eucalyptus sclerophylla
Eucalyptus sclerophylla, known as the Scribbly Gum, is a tree native to eastern Australia. Very similar to the related Scribbly Gum , a better known tree. The best way of distinguishing the species is the smaller hemispherical to pear shaped gumnuts of Eucalyptus sclerophylla, being 0.6 cm by...
), silvertop ash (E. sieberi
Eucalyptus sieberi
Eucalyptus sieberi, the Silvertop Ash or Black Ash is a common eucalyptus tree of south eastern Australia. The range of distribution is in the higher rainfall areas, from near sea level to high altitude...
) or heathland with shrubs such as mountain devil (Lambertia formosa
Lambertia formosa
Lambertia formosa, commonly known as Mountain Devil, is a shrub of the family Proteaceae endemic to New South Wales, Australia. First described by English botanist James Edward Smith in 1798, its specific name formosa is the Latin adjective for 'handsome'. No subspecies are recognised...
), broad-leaved drumsticks (Isopogon anemonifolius
Isopogon anemonifolius
Isopogon anemonifolius or Broad-leaved Drumsticks is a shrub that is endemic to eastern New South Wales in Australia. In occurs naturally in woodland, open forest and heathland on sandstone soils....
) and paperbark tea-tree (Leptospermum trinervium
Leptospermum trinervium
Leptospermum trinervium is a shrub, commonly called the Paperbark Teatree, which is endemic to Australia....
).
Ecology
The shrubs are killed by fire and regenerate afterwards by canopy-stored seedbank. Plants can live anywhere up to 60 years in nature. A field study in Brisbane Water National ParkBrisbane Water National Park
Brisbane Water National park is a national park in New South Wales, , 47 km north of Sydney.The park has many pleasant and interesting walks that can vary from mild to rugged. One walk that can be easily accessed via public transport, is the walk to Pindar Cave on the escarpment above...
found that Petrophile pulchella had greater reproductive output in areas that had had two short intervals of under seven years between fires, over areas that had had one short interval, and that plants in these latter areas had greater reproductive output than areas with no intervals under seven years between fires. Seeds can germinate up to 700 days after a bushfire, and it is possible that the seedbank could theoretically last up to 90 years between fires.
Native bees are possible pollinators of this species.