''Leucophyta'' is a plant

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

which is endemic to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The genus was first formally described by botanist

Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author Entertainers and artists * Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer * Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...

in 1818. The sole species in the genus is ''Leucophyta brownii'', also known as cushion bush. In 1891, German botanist

Otto Kuntze Carl Ernst Otto Kuntze (23 June 1843 – 27 January 1907) was a German botanist. Biography Otto Kuntze was born in Leipzig. An apothecary in his early career, he published an essay entitled ''Pocket Fauna of Leipzig''. Between 1863 and 1866, he ...

assigned a number of species to this genus in his publication ''

Revisio Generum Plantarum ''Revisio Generum Plantarum'', also known by its standard botanical abbreviation ''Revis. Gen. Pl.'', is a botanic treatise by Otto Kuntze. It was published in three volumes; the first two of these appeared in 1891, and the third was published in ...

'' but none of his name combinations have currency, those species being presently divided between the genera '' Balladonia'', '' Blennospora'', ''

Calocephalus ''Calocephalus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is represented in every state.Gnephosis ''Gnephosis'' is a genus of about sixteen flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, all endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus ''Gnephosis'' are hairy annual herbs, the upper leaves arranged alternately, the lower leaves sessile and arranged ...

''. ''Leucophyta brownii'' is a small, rounded shrub with tangled tomentose branchlets that give it a silvery appearance. Although it can grow up to a metre high, it is more usually 0.2 to 0.7 metres high. It produces flowers during summer (December to February in Australia), which are white-yellow globular heads and about 1 cm in diameter. The species is common in cultivation in Australia, with a selected dwarf form from

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, known by the

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

name 'Silver Nugget', also grown.

Habitat

''Leucophyta brownii'' is found in coastal environments. It commonly occurs on the exposed faces of cliffs and dunes on the south coast of Australia. It is highly tolerant of prevailing winds, sea spray, drought and frost, and grows on predominantly sand or sandstone derived soil. Further, the soil can be highly alkaline when sand is composed of calcium carbonate. It grows most successfully in full sun. Leucophyta brownni portsea

References

External links

''Leucophyta brownii'' occurrence data from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q16089820, from2=Q6534219 Gnaphalieae Monotypic Asteraceae genera Asterales of Australia Flora of South Australia Flora of Tasmania Flora of Victoria (state) Eudicots of Western Australia