''Seringia saxatilis'', commonly known as gorge fire-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family and is endemic to Kalbarri National Park in Western Australia. It is a sprawling, open shrub with hairy young stems, oblong to broadly elliptic leaves and purple flowers arranged in groups of 3 to 6.

Description

''Seringia saxatilis'' is a sprawling, open shrub that typically grows to a height of , about wide, and has hairy stems. The leaves are oblong to broadly elliptic, mostly long and wide on a petiole up to long with stipules up to long at the base. The leaves are lobed, crinkled and undulating, with deeply impressed veins on the upper surface. The flowers are arranged in a cyme with 3 to 6 flowers on a

peduncle Peduncle may refer to: *Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed *Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body **Peduncle (art ...

long, each flower on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

long. The flowers are wide and purple with petal-like sepals joined at the base to form a tube with lobes 75% the length of the tube. Petals are absent 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 have yellow filaments, and dark coloured anthers. Flowering occurs from July to October.

Taxonomy

In 1999,

Carolyn F. Wilkins Carolyn F. Wilkins (born 1945) is an Australian botanist, who currently (April 2020) works for the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. She (together with others) has revised the genera, '' Jacksonia'' a ...

described ''Seringia saxatilis'' in the journal '' Australian Systematic Botany'' from specimens collected in Kalbarri National Park in 2010. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''saxatilis'') means "dwelling among rocks".

Distribution and habitat

This species of seringia is only known from the Kalbarri area where it grows among sandstone boulders in the Geraldton Sandplains bioregions of Western Australia.

Conservation status

''Seringia saxatilis'' is listed as " Priority Two" by the Western Australian Government

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) is the Western Australian government The Government of Western Australia, formally referred to as His Majesty's Government of Western Australia, is the Australian state de ...

, meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations.

References

{{Taxonbar, from= Q51046977 saxatilis Rosids of Western Australia Malvales of Australia Taxa named by Carolyn F. Wilkins Plants described in 2016