''Calothamnus quadrifidus'' subsp. ''angustifolia'' is a plant in the myrtle

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

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 spe ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to the south-west of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to ...

. It is similar to other subspecies of ''

Calothamnus quadrifidus ''Calothamnus quadrifidus'', commonly known as one-sided bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle Family (biology), family, Myrtaceae and is Endemism, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. The common name alludes to the arrangement of th ...

'' except that it has longer leaves than most although in some areas there are plants that are intermediate with ''Calothamnus quadrifolius'' subsp. ''obtusus''. The leaves are flat, narrow and prickly.

Description

''Calothamnus quadrifidus'' subsp. ''angustifolia'' is an erect shrub which sometimes grows to a height of and lacks a

lignotuber A lignotuber is a woody swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem, such as by fire. Other woody plants may develop basal burls as a similar survival strategy, often as a response t ...

. Its leaves are flat, linear to narrow egg-shaped with the narrow end towards the base, prickly, long and wide. The flowers are red and are arranged in clusters, usually on one side of the stem amongst the older leaves. 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 filam ...

s are arranged in 4 claw-like bundles, each about long. Flowering occurs from August to November and is followed by fruits which are woody, barrel-shaped capsules, long.

Taxonomy and naming

''Calothamnus quadrifidus'' subsp. ''angustifolia'' was first formally described in 2010 by

Alex George Alexander or Alex George may refer to: * Alex George (botanist) (born 1939), Australian botanist *Alexander L. George (1920–2006), American political scientist *Alexander George (philosopher), American philosopher * Alex George (motorcyclist), Sc ...

in ''

Nuytsia ''Nuytsia floribunda'' is a hemiparasitic tree found in Western Australia. The species is known locally as moodjar and, more recently, the Christmas tree or Western Australian Christmas tree. The display of intensely bright flowers during the ...

'' from a specimen collected near central Greenough. It had originally been described in 1911 by

Alfred James Ewart Alfred James Ewart, FRS (12 February 1872 – 12 September 1937) was an English- Australian botanist. Early life and education Ewart was born in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, England, second son of Edmund Brown Ewart, B.A. and his wife, Mart ...

as ''Calothamnus homalophyllus'' var. ''angustifolius''. The epithet ''angustifolius'' is derived from the Latin words ''angustus'' meaning "narrow, tight, slender or thin" and ''folium'' meaning "leaf".

Distribution and habitat

''Calothamnus quadrifidus'' subsp. ''angustifolius'' is found inland from

Busselton Busselton is a city in the South West region of the state of Western Australia approximately south-west of Perth. Busselton has a long history as a popular holiday destination for Western Australians; however, the closure of the Busselton ...

in the

Avon Wheatbelt The Avon Wheatbelt is a bioregion in Western Australia. It has an area of . It is considered part of the larger Southwest Australia savanna ecoregion. Geography The Avon Wheatbelt bioregion is mostly a gently undulating landscape with low reli ...

Geraldton Sandplains Geraldton ( Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of the Australian state of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth. At June 2018, Geraldton had an urban population of 37,648. ...

, Mallee 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 geo ...

biogeographic regions. It grows in clay near

ironstone Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical replacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron ore compound from which iron (Fe) can be smelted commercially. Not to be con ...

in shrubland that is wet in winter.

Conservation

''Calothamnus quadrifidus'' subsp. ''angustifolius'' is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian government department of parks and wildlife.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28813502 quadrifidus Myrtales of Australia Plants described in 2010 Plant subspecies