''Conostylis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the

south west The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

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 ...

Taxonomy

The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and one of six genera which only occur in the

Southwest Australia Southwest Australia is a biogeographic region in Western Australia. It includes the Mediterranean-climate area of southwestern Australia, which is home to a diverse and distinctive flora and fauna. The region is also known as the Southwest Aus ...

bioregion; they are closely related to the well known kangaroo paws, species of '' Anigozanthos'' and ''

Macropidia ''Macropidia fuliginosa'', the sole species of genus ''Macropidia'', is a perennial rhizomatous flowering plant. A relation of the kangaroo paws, ''Anigozanthus'', which are also endemic to Southwest Australia, it is referred to as the black kan ...

''. ''Conostylis'' was described by Robert Brown, published in his '' Prodromus'' of Australian flora in 1810. No type species was provided by the author. The genus name ''Conostylis'' is derived from Ancient Greek terms for 'cone' and 'column, style', a reference to the conical shape of the

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

's tip.

Description

They have leathery, strap-like leaves which arise from the base of the plant, sometimes from underground rhizomes. Flowers which usually occur in clusters (sometimes singly) on stalks which emerge from the bases of the leaves. Individual flowers have a short stalk with and six

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

s which are either cream, yellow, orange or purple. The tepals join to form a short tube at the base with six similar stamens attached at the top of the tube.

Diversity

The described species of ''Conostylis'' include: *'' Conostylis aculeata'' R.Br. Prickly conostylis *''

Conostylis albescens ''Conostylis albescens'' is a rhizomatous, tufted perennial plant species in the family Haemodoraceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Plants grow to between 12 and 17 cm high and produce yellow-cream-white flowers in August ...

'' Hopper *'' Conostylis androstemma'' F.Muell. Trumpets *''

Conostylis angustifolia ''Conostylis angustifolia'' is a rhizomatous, tufted perennial plant species in the family Haemodoraceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. In September and October it produces yellow flowers in the species' native range. Descripti ...

'' Hopper *'' Conostylis argentea'' (

J.W.Green John William Green (born 10 July 1930) is an Australian botanist. Career Green began his botanical career in 1954 as assistant botanist in the Western Australian Herbarium. He remained in that position until 1958, in his final year serving as ...

) Hopper *''

Conostylis aurea ''Conostylis aurea'', commonly known as golden conostylis, is a plant in the bloodwort family Haemodoraceae. It is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Description ''Conostylis aurea'' is a rhizomatous, tufted perennial, grass-like he ...

'' Lindl. Golden conostylis *''

Conostylis bealiana ''Conostylis bealiana'' is a flowering plant in the family Haemodoraceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It has green flat leaves and tubular dark yellow to orange-red flowers. Description ''Conostylis bealiana'' is a tufted, prostrate, g ...

'' F.Muell. *'' Conostylis bracteata'' Lindl. *'' Conostylis breviscapa'' R.Br. *'' Conostylis candicans'' Endl. Grey cottonhead *'' Conostylis caricina'' Lindl. *'' Conostylis crassinerva'' J.W.Green *'' Conostylis deplexa'' J.W.Green *'' Conostylis dielsii'' W.Fitzg. *'' Conostylis drummondii''

Benth. George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...

Drummond's conostylis *'' Conostylis festucacea'' Endl. *''

Conostylis juncea ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, ...

'' Endl. *''

Conostylis laxiflora ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' Benth. *''

Conostylis micrantha ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' Hopper Small-flowered conostylis *''

Conostylis misera ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' Endl. Grass conostylis *'' Conostylis neocymosa'' Hopper *'' Conostylis pauciflora'' Hopper Dawesville conostylis *'' Conostylis petrophiloides'' F.Muell. ex Benth. *'' Conostylis phathyrantha'' Diels *'' Conostylis prolifera'' Benth. Mat cottonheads *'' Conostylis pusilla'' Endl. *'' Conostylis resinosa'' Hopper *'' Conostylis robusta'' Diels *'' Conostylis seorsiflora'' F.Muell. *'' Conostylis serrulata'' R.Br. *'' Conostylis setigera'' R.Br. Bristly cottonhead *'' Conostylis setosa'' Lindl. White cottonhead *'' Conostylis stylidioides'' F.Muell. *'' Conostylis teretifolia'' J.W.Green *'' Conostylis teretiuscula'' F.Muell. *'' Conostylis vaginata'' Endl. Sheath conostylis *''

Conostylis villosa ''Conostylis'' is a genus of perennial herbs in the Haemodoraceae family, commonly known as cone flowers. All species are endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Taxonomy The genus is the most speciose of the Haemodoraceae family, and ...

'' Benth. *'' Conostylis wonganensis'' Hopper Wongan conostylis

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q641431 Commelinales of Australia Angiosperms of Western Australia Commelinales genera Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773) Plants described in 1810 Endemic flora of Southwest Australia