Adenanthos cuneatus

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Adenanthos cuneatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Adenanthos
Section: Adenanthos sect. Adenanthos
Species:
A. cuneatus
Binomial name
Adenanthos cuneatus
Distribution of A. cuneatus, shown on a map of Western Australia's
biogeographic regions.[1]
Synonyms
  • Adenanthos flabellifolius Knight
  • Adenanthos crenatus Willd.

Adenanthos cuneatus, also known as coastal jugflower, flame bush, bridle bush and sweat bush, is a shrub of the family Proteaceae, native to the south coast of Western Australia. The French naturalist Jacques Labillardière originally described it in 1805. Within the genus Adenanthos, it lies in the section Adenanthos and is most closely related to A. stictus. A. cuneatus has hybridized with four other species of Adenanthos. Growing to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high and wide, it is erect to prostrate in habit, with wedge-shaped lobed leaves covered in fine silvery hair. The single red flowers are insignificant, and appear all year, though especially in late spring. The reddish new growth occurs over the summer.

It is sensitive to Phytophthora cinnamomi dieback, hence requiring a sandy soil and good drainage to grow in cultivation, its natural habitat of sandy soils in heathland being an example. Its pollinators include bees, honey possum, silvereye and honeyeaters, particularly the western spinebill. A. cuneatus is grown in gardens in Australia and the western United States, and a dwarf and prostrate form are commercially available.

Description

Adenanthos cuneatus grows as an erect, spreading or prostrate shrub to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high and wide. It has a woody base, known as a

cuneate) leaves are on short petioles, and are 2 cm (0.8 in) long and 1–1.5 cm (0.4–0.6 in) wide, with 3 to 5 (and occasionally up to 7) rounded 'teeth' or lobes at the ends.[2][3] New growth is red and slightly translucent. It glows bright red against the light, especially when the sun is low in the sky.[4] New growth is mainly seen in summer, and the leaves in general are covered with fine, silvery hair. Occurring throughout the year but more often from August to November, the insignificant single flowers are a dull red in colour and measure around 4 cm (1.6 in) long.[2][3] The pollen is triangular in shape and measures 31–44 μm (0.0012–0.0017 in) in length, averaging around 34 μm (0.0013 in).[5]

The species is similar in many ways to its close relative

crenate (rounded) in A. cuneatus, but irregular and dentate (toothed) in A. stictus.[6] Also, new growth does not have a red flush in A. stictus, and juvenile leaves of A. stictus are usually much larger than adult leaves, a difference not seen in A. cuneatus. The flowers of the two species are very similar, differing only subtly in dimension, colour and indumentum.[7]

Taxonomy

Discovery and naming

Although the precise time and location of its discovery are unknown,

Nuytsia floribunda (West Australian Christmas Tree) and, as aforementioned, A. cuneatus.[8][9]

Thirteen years passed before Labillardière published a formal description of A. cuneatus, and in the meantime several further collections were made: Scottish botanist

King George Sound;[10] and, fourteen months later, Jean-Baptiste Leschenault de La Tour, botanist to Nicolas Baudin's voyage of exploration,[11] and "gardener's boy" Antoine Guichenot[12]
collected more specimens therein. The official account of Baudin's expedition contain notes from Leschenault on vegetation:

"Sur les bords de la mer, croissent, en grande abondance, l'adenanthos cuneata, l'adenanthos sericea au feuillage velouté, et une espèce du même genre dont les feuilles sont arrondies."[13] ("On the seashore, grows, in great abundance, Adenanthos cuneata, the velvety-leaved Adenanthos sericea, and a species of the same genus with rounded leaves.")

Labillardière eventually published the genus Adenanthos, along with A. cuneatus and two other species, in his 1805

lectotype for the genus, since the holotype of A. cuneatus bears an annotation showing the derivation of the genus name, and because Labillardière's description of it is the most detailed of the three, and is referred to by the other descriptions.[16]

Synonymy

In 1809,

Also synonymised with this species is Adenanthos crenata, published by Carl Ludwig Willdenow's in Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel's 1825 16th edition of Systema Vegetabilium. Willdenow published both A. cuneata and A. crenata, giving them different descriptions but designating the same type specimen for both.[20] Thus A. crenata was rejected under the principle of priority,[18] and is now regarded as a nomenclatural synonym of A. cuneatus.[21]

Infrageneric placement

In 1870,

A. sect. Stenolaema because its perianth tube is straight and not swollen above the middle.[22] This arrangement still stands today, though A. sect. Stenolaema is now renamed to the autonym A. sect. Adenanthos
.

A

ICBN had issued a ruling that all genera ending in -anthos must be treated as having masculine gender; thus the specific epithet became cuneatus.[3]

Inflorescence
Red new growth of A. cuneatus, Torndirrup National Park

The placement of A. cuneatus in Nelson's arrangement of Adenanthos may be summarised as follows:[3]

Adenanthos
A. sect. Eurylaema (4 species)
A. sect. Adenanthos
A. drummondii
A. dobagii
A. apiculatus
A. linearis
A. pungens (2 subspecies)
A. gracilipes
A. venosus
A. dobsonii
A. glabrescens (2 subspecies)
A. ellipticus
A. cuneatus
A. stictus
A. ileticos
A. forrestii
A. eyrei
A. cacomorphus
A. flavidiflorus
A. argyreus
A. macropodianus
A. terminalis
A. sericeus (2 subspecies)
A. × cunninghamii
A. oreophilus
A. cygnorum (2 subspecies)
A. meisneri
A. velutinus
A. filifolius
A. labillardierei
A. acanthophyllus

Hybrids

Adenanthos cuneatus apparently forms hybrids with other Adenanthos species quite readily, as four putative natural hybrids have been reported:

  • A. × cunninghamii (Albany Woollybush), a hybrid between A. cuneatus and A. sericeus, was first collected in 1827, and published as A. cunninghamii in 1845. Other than some dubious collections in the 1830s and 1840s, no further sightings are known to have been made until 1973, when Nelson rediscovered it. At the time it was regarded as a distinct species, but by 1995 it was thought to be a hybrid,[3] and this was confirmed by genetic analysis in 2002.[25] In appearance it is very similar to A. sericeus, but its leaf segments are flat rather than cylindrical.[26]
  • A single plant discovered by Nelson near
    style lacks an indumentum, like A. dobsonii.[27]
  • Two plants found near Twilight Cove are regarded as hybrids between A. cuneatus and A. forrestii, the only two Adenanthos species to occur in the area. One was discovered by Nelson in 1972, the other by Alex George in 1974. They are about 5 km apart, and differ somewhat. The leaves are triangular and flat like those of A. cuneatus, but the leaves of mature shoots are very long and narrow, and the leaves of younger shoots are deeply lobed.[28]
  • In his 1995 revision, Nelson refers to putative hybrids with A. dobsonii and A. apiculatus, citing the 1978 paper in which he published putative hybrids with A. dobsonii and A. forrestii.[3] It is unclear whether the reference to A. apiculatus is an error or a fourth putative hybrid.

Common names

This species has several common names, some highly localised. Two names allude to its consumption by horses; bridle bush, a name used east of

sweat after consuming young growth. The common name of flame bush derives from the brilliant red new growth. It is also known as coastal jugflower.[2][4][6] Nelson also records the use of the names Templetonia and native temp, but ridicules them as obvious errors.[29]

Distribution and habitat

The most widely distributed Adenanthos species of the south coast,

King George Sound and Israelite Bay, along the coast and up to 40 km (25 mi) inland, with isolated populations extending west to Walpole and the Stirling Range, and as far east of Israelite Bay as Twilight Cove.[31]

This species is restricted to

marine origin,[34] and it tolerates pH levels ranging from 3.8 to 6.6.[35]

Consistent with these edaphic preferences, A. cuneatus is a frequent and characteristic member of the kwongan heathlands commonly found on the sandplains of Southwest Australia.[31] The climate in its range is mediterranean, with annual rainfall from 275 to 1,000 mm (10.8 to 39.4 in).[36]

Ecology

Colletid bees of the genus Leioproctus visit Adenanthos cuneatus flowers.[37] A 1978 field study conducted around Albany found the honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus) occasionally visited Adenanthos cuneatus, while the western spinebill much preferred the species to other flowers.[38] A 1980 field study at Cheyne beach showed that the New Holland honeyeater and white-cheeked honeyeater pollinate it[5] A 1985–86 field study in the Fitzgerald River National Park found that the nectar-feeding honey possum occasionally eats it.[39] The silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) feeds on nectar from the flowers, and has also been observed taking dew-drops from leaves early in the morning.[40]

Adenanthos cuneatus is known to be susceptible to

Phosphite (used to combat dieback) has some toxic effects in A. cuneatus, with some necrosis of leaf tips, but the shrub uptakes little of the compound when compared with other shrubs.[43] Specimens in coastal dune vegetation showed some sensitivity to the fungus Armillaria luteobubalina, with between a quarter and a half of plants exposed succumbing to the pathogen.[44]

Cultivation

'Coral Drift'

Adenanthos cuneatus was taken to Great Britain in 1824, and has been grown in cultivation in Australia[2] and the western United States.[45] Its attractive bronzed or reddish foliage is its main horticultural feature, along with its ability to attract birds to the garden. It requires a well-drained position to do well,[2] but will grow in full sun or semi-shade, and tolerates both sand and gravelly soils. George Lullfitz, a Western Australian nurseryman, recommends growing it as a rambling ground cover in front of other shrubs, or in a rockery.[46]

The following cultivars exist:

  • A. "Coral Drift" is a compact form in cultivation since at least the 1990s. It is 50–70 cm (19.7–27.6 in) tall and 1–1.5 m (3.3–4.9 ft) wide. The grey foliage has pinkish purple new growth.[45]
  • A. "Coral Carpet" is a prostrate form which peaks at around 20 cm (7.9 in) high and spreads to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) across. The new foliage is a pinkish purple. A chance seedling from 'Coral Drift', it was originally developed by George Lullfitz of Lullfitz Nursery in
    Wanneroo. It became available to the public in 2005, and has been registered successfully under Plant Breeders' Rights.[45]

Footnotes

  1. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
    .
  2. ^ a b c d e Wrigley (1991): 61–62.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Nelson (1995): 331.
  4. ^ .
  5. ^ .
  6. ^ a b c Nelson (1978): 389.
  7. ^ Nelson (1975b): 139–144.
  8. ^ Nelson (1975b) 1:24
  9. .
  10. ^ "Adenanthos cuneatus Labill". Robert Brown's Australian Botanical Specimens, 1801–1805 at the BM. Perth: FloraBase, Western Australian Herbarium, Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 5 January 2011.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ Nelson (1975a): 332.
  12. ISSN 0260-9541
    .
  13. ^ Leschenault de la Tour; Jean Baptiste (1816). "Notice sur la Végétation de la Nouvelle-Hollande et da la terre de Diémen". Voyage de découvertes aux terres australes (in French). Vol. 2. p. 366. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  14. ^ Nelson (1975b) 2: A126.
  15. ^ Nelson (1978): 320.
  16. ^ Nelson (1978): 318, 320.
  17. On the Cultivation of the Plants Belonging to the Natural Order of Proteeae
    . London, United Kingdom: W. Savage. p. 96.
  18. ^ a b Nelson (1978): 387.
  19. ^ "Adenanthos flabellifolius Knight [ nom. illeg. ]". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  20. ^ Willdenow, Carl Ludwig (1825). Sprengel, Curt; Polycarp Joachim (eds.). Systema vegetabilium (in Latin) (16th ed.). Göttingen: Sumtibus Librariae Dieterichianae. p. 472.
  21. ^ "Adenanthos crenatus Willd". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  22. ^ Bentham, George (1870). "Adenanthos". Flora Australiensis. Vol. 5. London: L. Reeve & Co. pp. 350–56.
  23. ^ Nelson (1975b) 1: 123, 124.
  24. ^ Nelson (1978): 320, 321.
  25. ^ "Adenanthos cunninghamii (Albany Woollybush)" (PDF). Advice to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the Committee) on Amendments to the list of Threatened Species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  26. ^ Cochrane, Anne; Barrett, S.; Byrne, M. (2004). "A rare hybrid beauty — Albany Woollybush". Landscope. 19 (3). Perth: Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM), Government of Western Australia: 7–8. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  27. ^ Nelson (1978): 391.
  28. ^ Nelson (1978): 392.
  29. ^ Nelson, Ernest Charles (2005). "The koala plant and related monickers" (PDF). Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter (125): 2–3. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  30. ^ Nelson (1975b): 299.
  31. ^ a b Nelson (1978): 388.
  32. ^ Nelson (1975b): 262, 268.
  33. ^ Nelson (1975b): 311.
  34. ^ Nelson (1975b): 252.
  35. ^ Nelson (1975b): 254.
  36. ^ Nelson (1975b): 261.
  37. ^ "Specimen Report". Museum Victoria website: Bioinformatics. Melbourne, Victoria: Museum Victoria. 2010. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
  38. JSTOR 2398921
    . Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  39. .
  40. .
  41. ^ "Part 2, Appendix 4: The responses of native Australian plant species to Phytophthora cinnamomi" (PDF). Management of Phytophthora cinnamomi for Biodiversity Conservation in Australia. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  42. .
  43. .
  44. .
  45. ^ a b c Nelson, Ernest Charles (2006). "Adenanthos Labill. - A Plantsman's Retrospect and Prospect". Australian Plants. 23 (186): 199–214.
  46. ^ Lullfitz, George. Grow the West's Best Native Plants. Perth: Periodicals Division, West Australian Newspapers. p. 39.

References

External links