''Calothamnus quadrifidus'' subsp. ''quadrifidus'' 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 similar to other subspecies of ''Calothamnus quadrifidus'' except that its leaves are circular in cross section and the leaves and flower cup (the hypanthium) usually have a sparse covering of long, soft hairs. (The only other subspecies with cylinder-shaped leaves is ''teretifolius'' and its leaves and hypanthium are glabrous.)

Description

''Calothamnus quadrifidus'' subsp. ''quadrifidus'' is an erect or sprawling shrub which sometimes grows to a height of . Its leaves are linear, sometimes slightly expanded in the middle, and circular in cross section. They are long and wide and sparsely covered with long silky hairs, at least when young. The flowers are red and arranged in clusters, usually on one side of the stem amongst the older leaves. The hypanthium usually has a covering of soft, silky hairs, at least on the lower part and 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 4 claw-like bundles, each about long. Flowering mainly occurs from September to December and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules, long.

Taxonomy and naming

''Calothamnus quadrifidus'' subsp. ''quadrifidus'' 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''.

Distribution and habitat

''Calothamnus quadrifidus'' subsp. ''quadrifidus'' is the most variable subspecies and occurs over the widest area. It is found in the western part of the wheatbelt and as far north as

Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...

, as far inland as Mullewa and Hyden and as far south as Albany and

Israelite Bay Israelite Bay is a bay and locality on the south coast of Western Australia. Situated in the Shire of Esperance local government area, it lies east of Esperance and the Cape Arid National Park, within the Nuytsland Nature Reserve and the Grea ...

. It grows in sand and soils derived from granite or

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

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

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q20817724 quadrifidus Myrtales of Australia Plants described in 2010 Plant subspecies