''Calothamnus accedens'', commonly known as Piawaning clawflower, is a plant in the myrtle family,

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...

and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was first formally described in 1984, declared extinct in 1992, rediscovered in 2004, removed from the "extinct" list in 2013 and found to have a population of at least 25,000 in 2015. It is a small erect shrub with crowded hairy leaves and red flowers. In 2014

Craven Craven may refer to: * Craven in the Domesday Book, an area of Yorkshire, England, larger area than the district ** Craven District, a local government district of North Yorkshire formed in 1974 Places * Craven, New South Wales, Australia, see ...

, Edwards and Cowley proposed that the species be renamed ''Melaleuca accedens''.

Description

''Calothamnus accedens'' grows to a height of about and has a single trunk, sometimes with papery bark, but is densely branched. Its leaves are crowded at the ends of the branches, stiff and needle-like, mostly long and wide. They are covered with long, whitish hairs at first but become glabrous with age and have distinct oil glands. The flowers are a shade of dark pink to crimson and arranged in clusters of 4 to 10, mostly on one side of the stem. The petals are long with a prominent vein in the centre. The

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s are arranged in claw-like bundles with 15 to 21 stamens per bundle. Flowering occurs in February and is followed by fruits which are woody, cup-shaped or cylindrical capsules, long and in diameter.

Taxonomy and naming

''Calothamnus accedens'' was first formally described in 1984 by Trevor J. Hawkeswood from a specimen found on a roadside between Piawaning and Wongan Hills. The population in that area was apparently destroyed during roadwork in the 1980s and the species declared extinct in 1992. In 2004 a specimen was collected in a botanical survey, then other populations were located so that by 2007, the population size was estimated at more than 25,000 and the species was removed from the endangered list. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''accedens'') is derived from "Latin, meaning approximating or resembling." The name refers to this species close relationshipe to '' C. brevifolius'' and '' C. hirsutus''.

Distribution and habitat

''Calothamnus accedens'' occurs in the area between Perth and to the north of Perth in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and

Swan Coastal Plain The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geol ...

biogeographic regions. It grows in sandy soils over

laterite Laterite is both a soil and a rock type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. They develop by ...

Conservation

This species was removed from the extinct list on 6 March 2013 and is recommended for removal from all lists under the Australian Government '' Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999''. Although some populations are in areas outside protected zones, it is estimated that at least 20,000 individual plants are in a national park. It is classified as "Priority Four" by the Western Australian Government

Department of Parks and Wildlife The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) was the department of the Government of Western Australia responsible for managing lands described in the ''Conservation and Land Management Act 1984'' and implementing the state's conservation and en ...

meaning that is rare or near threatened.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15395734 accedens Myrtales of Australia Plants described in 1984 Endemic flora of Western Australia