Bindoon starbush
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Asterolasia
Species:
A. nivea
Binomial name
Asterolasia nivea
(Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson[1]
Synonyms[1]

Urocarpus niveus Paul G.Wilson

Habit

Asterolasia nivea, commonly known as Bindoon starbush,[2] is a species of weak sub-shrub that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has leathery oblong to narrow elliptical leaves and white flowers arranged in groups of about three flowers with thick-centred, shield like, star-shaped hairs on the back of the petals.

Description

Asterolasia nivea is a weak sub-shrub that typically grows to a height of about 50 cm (20 in). The leaves are narrow oblong, to elliptical, about 12 mm (0.47 in) long on a short petiole. The leaves are covered with star-shaped hairs. The flowers are arranged in groups of about three in leaf axils and on the ends of branchlets, each flower on a pedicel up to 15 mm (0.59 in) long and covered with thick-centred, star-shaped hairs. The petals are white, elliptical, 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long with thick-centred, star-shaped hairs on the back that formed a shield over the flower bud. There are between fifteen and twenty stamens.[2]

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1980 by Paul Wilson who gave it the name Urocarpus niveus and published the description in the journal Nuytsia.[3] In 1987, Wilson changed the name to Asterolasia nivea, publishing the change in the journal Nuytsia.[4][5]

In 2017, Juliet A. Wege published a paper in Nuytsia suggesting that A. nivea is a white flowered form, and that the name A. nivea is a synonym of A. grandiflora. This change has been accepted by the Western Australian Herbarium but not as yet by the Australian Plant Census.[1][6][7]

Distribution and habitat

Asterolasia nivea grows in gravel between New Norcia and Bindoon in Western Australia.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Asterolasia nivea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Wilson, Paul G. "Asterolasia nivea". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Canberra. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "Urocarpus niveus". APNI. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  4. ↑ "Asterolasia nivea". APNI. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  5. ↑ Wilson, Paul Graham (1987). "The names Asterolasia F. Muell. and Urocarpus Harvey (Rutaceae)". Nuytsia. 6 (1): 8. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  6. ↑ Wege, Juliet A. (2017). "Taxonomic notes on Asterolasia (Rutaceae) in Western Australia to inform conservation" (PDF). Nuytsia. 28: 141–143. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  7. ↑ "Asterolasia nivea". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
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