''Dampiera linearis'', commonly known as common dampiera or wedge-leaved dampiera, is an erect perennial herb in the family

Goodeniaceae Goodeniaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asterales. It contains about 404 species in twelve genera. The family is distributed mostly in Australia, except for the genus '' Scaevola'', which is pantropical. Its species are found a ...

. The species, which is endemic 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 ...

, grows to between 15 and 60 cm (6 in–2 ft) high, with its blue to purple flowers appearing between July and December. It adapts readily to cultivation, particularly containers such as hanging baskets.

Taxonomy

The prolific botanist Robert Brown described ''Dampiera linearis'' in his 1810 work ''

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen ''Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'' (Prodromus of the Flora of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land) is a flora of Australia written by botanist Robert Brown and published in 1810. Often referred to as ''Prodromus Flora Nova ...

''. Its species name is the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

adjective ''linearis'' "linear". He described a ''D cuneata'' at the same time, which has been synonymised with ''D. linearis''. Plants sold commercially were mislabeled as ''D. cuneata'' for many years. Dutch botanist

Willem Hendrik de Vriese Willem Hendrik de Vriese (11 August 1806 – 23 January 1862) was a Dutch botanist and physician born in Oosterhout, North Brabant. Education Willem Hendrik de Vriese studied medicine at the University of Leiden, earning his doctorate in ...

described two further plants—''D. azurea'' and ''D. eriophora''—from the Swan River and Perth environs in the 1845 work ''Plantae Preissianae'', which are also now considered ''D. linearis''.

Description

An erect shrub, ''Dampiera linearis'' grows to between 15 and 60 cm (6 in–2 ft) in height, with a suckering habit. New growth is hairy and becomes smooth with maturity. The leaves are obovate to elliptical and can be entire or lobed, measuring 1–4 cm long by 1–10 mm wide. It produces flowers between July and December in its native range. These are 1.5–2 cm wide, and light blue to purple with a yellow or white centre. The outer- or undersurface of the flowers is covered with fine hair. The flowers arise in groups of 1 to 3 from a peduncle that is also covered in hair.

Distribution and habitat

''Dampiera linearis'' is found across the southwest corner of Western Australia from Geraldton in the north to Esperance in the south east. It grows on sand- or clay-based soils over laterite, on ridges, or flat areas.

Ecology

Plants of ''Dampiera linearis'' can survive bushfire and resprout and put on new growth quickly. Fieldwork on the

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 ...

indicated it was probably resistant to ''

Phytophthora cinnamomi ''Phytophthora cinnamomi'' is a soil-borne water mould that produces an infection which causes a condition in plants variously called " root rot", "dieback", or (in certain ''Castanea'' species), "ink disease". The plant pathogen is one of the w ...

''.

Cultivation

Some forms of ''Dampiera linearis'' are cultivated and sold for their colourful flowers, while others have attractive grey foliage. In cultivation, the species prefers a well-drained situation in full sun or light shade. It tolerates some dryness and moderate frost. It does not tolerate waterlogged soils. It makes an attractive plant for hanging baskets. ''Dampiera linearis'' is readily propagated by cuttings; trials at Kings Park indicate that semi-hardened material is best and the average time to strike is 48 days.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5212943 linearis Eudicots of Western Australia Endemic flora of Western Australia