''Calothamnus hirsutus'' 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 is a small, spreading shrub with prominent hairs on the leaves giving them a smoky appearance. The flowers are deep red and are usually in dense clusters between the older leaves.

Description

''Calothamnus hirsutus'' is a compact, many-branched shrub growing to a height of about . The older branches are corky but the younger shoots are densely hairy. Its leaves are usually long, in diameter, cylindrical in shape and taper to a non-prickly point. They have many well-spaced, upright hairs on their surface and conspicuous oil glands. The flowers are deep red and in dense clusters of 4 to 8 individual flowers, usually on the older branches and between the leaves. The petals are long, thin, papery and orange to brown. 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 5 claw-like bundles with 20 to 25 stamens per bundle. Flowering occurs from October to February and is followed by fruits which are woody, almost spherical capsules which are hairy at first but become glabrous with age. The fruits are in diameter.

Taxonomy and naming

''Calothamnus hirsutus'' was first formally described in 1984 by Trevor J. Hawkeswood in the botanical journal ''Nuytsia''. 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 ...

(''hirsutus'') is a Latin word meaning "rough" or "hairy" referring to the long, simple hairs on the leaves. 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 hirsuta'' but the name is not accepted at the Australian Plant Census.

Distribution and habitat

''Calothamnus hirsutus'' occurs from near Arrowsmith to the suburbs of Perth and the Helena Valley in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest,

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. There is a significant population in the Anstey-Keane Dampland reserve in the Perth suburb of Forrestdale.

Conservation

''Calothamnus hirsutus'' is classified as "not threatened" 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 ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15395683 hirsutus Myrtales of Australia Plants described in 1984 Endemic flora of Western Australia