''Cheiranthera linearis'', commonly known as finger-flower, is a flowering plant in the family

Pittosporaceae Pittosporaceae is a family of flowering plants that consists of 200–240 species of trees, shrubs, and lianas in 9 genera. Habitats range from tropical to temperate climates of the Afrotropical, Indomalayan, Oceanian, and Australasian r ...

. It is a small shrub with deep purple flowers, yellow stamens and dull green linear shaped leaves. It is found growing in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

Description

''Cheiranthera linearis'' is a small upright shrub to with smooth stems. The leaves are

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

, arranged alternately, more or less clustered on the stem, leaf blade mostly linear, long, wide, edges curved under, smooth, toothed or with lobes about long. The flowers may be single or in clusters of 2–5 on a short upright stems and 5 yellow

stamens The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...

. The flower petals are egg-shaped, long and a blue to deep purple. The fruit capsules are more or less oblong to egg-shaped, long and flattened. Flowering occurs in summer and autumn.

Taxonomy and naming

''Cheiranthera linearis'' was first formally described in 1834 by

John Lindley John Lindley Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidology, orchidologist. Early years Born in Old Catton, Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four c ...

and the description was published in ''

Edwards's Botanical Register ''The Botanical Register'', subsequently known as ''Edwards's Botanical Register'', was an illustrated horticultural magazine that ran from 1815 to 1847. It was started by the botanical illustrator Sydenham Edwards, who had previously illustrat ...

''. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

is taken from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

word ''linearis'' meaning "linear", which refers to the shape of the leaves.

Distribution and habitat

Finger-flower is a widespread species found growing in woodland and forests on rocky or sandy locations in

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q17135755 Pittosporaceae Apiales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Flora of Victoria (state) Taxa named by Allan Cunningham (botanist)