''Callistachys lanceolata'', commonly known as the wonnich, native willow, or greenbush is the sole species in the genus ''Callistachys''. It is a species of erect shrub or small tree that is

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

to the

south-west The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each ...

of Western Australia and is naturalised in some other Australian states.

Description

''Callistachys lanceolata'' is an erect

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

tree or shrub that typically grows to a height of and has silky-hairy young stems. The plant has conspicuous and attractive

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

composed of

racemes A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the shoo ...

with yellow flowers. The plant flowers from September to January. The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

of the plant are leathery and are arranged in whorls, most typically with three leaves per whorl. The

are generally regular in shape between to in length and to in width and have pointed tips.

Distribution and habitat

''Callistachys lanceolata'' occurs in the South West corner and South Coast of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. It grows well in sandy soils in areas that are damp, particularly along

watercourse A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a strea ...

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

s and culverts.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Callistachys'' and ''Callistachys lanceolata'' were first formally described in 1805 by

Étienne Pierre Ventenat Étienne Pierre Ventenat (1 March 1757 – 13 August 1808) was a French botanist born in Limoges. He was the brother of naturalist Louis Ventenat (1765–1794). While employed as director of the ecclesiastic library Sainte-Geneviève in Paris, ...

in his book, ''Jardin de la Malmaison''. The genus name, ''Callistachys'' means 'beautiful flower spike', and the

species epithet Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany) ...

(''lanceolata'') means

lanceolate The following terms are used to describe leaf plant morphology, morphology in the description and taxonomy (biology), taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade ...

Use in horticulture

Seeds can be collected from the plant but the pods the seeds are found in should be left to dry on the plant before they are broken open. The seeds should be scarified before sowing.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q2566596, from2=Q5022770 Mirbelioids Monotypic Fabaceae genera Fabales of Australia Rosids of Western Australia Trees of Australia Endemic flora of Southwest Australia Plants described in 1805 Taxa named by Étienne Pierre Ventenat