''Spyridium'' is a genus of about thirty species of flowering plants in the family

Rhamnaceae The Rhamnaceae are a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs, and some vines, commonly called the buckthorn family. Rhamnaceae is included in the order Rosales. The family contains about 55 genera and 950 species. The Rhamnaceae ...

, and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to Australia. Plants in the genus ''Spyridium'' are shrubs or subshrubs usually with small leaves, flowers usually in clusters of small composite heads, the individual flowers small and densely woolly-hairy, and the fruit a

capsule Capsule may refer to: Anatomy * Articular capsule (joint capsule), an envelope surrounding a synovial joint * Bowman's capsule (glomerular capsule), a sac surrounding a glomerulus in a mammalian kidney * Glisson's capsule, a fibrous layer covering ...

. Species of ''Spyridium'' are found in all Australian states except Queensland.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Spyridium'' are shrubs or subshrubs, usually less than tall and have hairy branchlets. The leaves are arranged alternately along the branches and are usually small, with papery brown

stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole). Stipules are considered part of the anatomy of the leaf of a typical flowering plant, although in many speci ...

s at the base. The flowers are small,

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, wh ...

, densely white woolly-hairy,

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 ...

and usually borne in small composite heads with small brown bracts at the base, the heads themselves usually clustered in a

corymb Corymb is a botanical term for an inflorescence with the flowers growing in such a fashion that the outermost are borne on longer pedicels than the inner, bringing all flowers up to a common level. A corymb has a flattish top with a superficia ...

ose cyme. There are five

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined ...

s, five petals and three

carpels Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

, and the fruit is a capsule with the remains of the sepals attached.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Spyridium'' was first formally described in 1837 by

Eduard Fenzl Eduard Fenzl (1808, in Krummnußbaum – 1879, in Vienna) was an Austrian botanist. Life and contributions An obituary notes " was Professor of Botany and Director of the Imperial Botanical Cabinet, a member of the Vienna Academy of Sciences ...

Stephan Endlicher Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher also known as Endlicher István László (24 June 1804, Bratislava (Pozsony) – 28 March 1849, Vienna) was an Austrian botanist, numismatist and Sinologist. He was a director of the Botanical Garden of Vienna. ...

's ''

Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorum et in sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus Liber Baro de Hügel ''Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiæ ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorum et in sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus Liber Baro de Hügel'' is a description of the plants collected at the Swan River colony and King George Sound in ...

'' and the first species described was ''

Spyridium eriocephalum ''Spyridium eriocephalum'', commonly known as heath spyridium or heath dustymiller, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with linear leaves, and hea ...

''. The genus name (''Spyridium'') means "a small basket", referring to the bracts surrounding the clusters of flowers.

Species list

The names of the following species of ''Spyridium'' are accepted by the

Australian Plant Census The Australian Plant Census (APC) provides an online interface to currently accepted, published, scientific names of the vascular flora of Australia, as one of the output interfaces of the national government Integrated Biodiversity Information Syst ...

as at June 2022: *''

Spyridium bifidum ''Spyridium bifidum'', commonly known as forked spyridium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is an erect shrub with densely softly-hairy young stems, wedge-shaped to linear leaves som ...

'' (F.Muell.) F.Muell. ex Benth. – forked spyridium (S.A.) *''

Spyridium burragorang ''Spyridium burragorang'', is a flowering shrub in the family Rhamnaceae. It has dense clusters of whitish flowers at the end of branches, alternate leaves and is endemic to New South Wales. Description ''Spyridium burragorang'' is a spreadin ...

'' K.R.Thiele (N.S.W.) *''

Spyridium buxifolium ''Spyridium buxifolium'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a spreading shrub with egg-shaped to elliptic leaves, and heads of white, softly-hairy flowers with brown bracts at the ba ...

'' (Fenzl) K.R.Thiele (N.S.W.) *''

Spyridium cinereum ''Spyridium cinereum'', commonly known as tiny spiridium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a low-lying shrub with heart-shaped leaves, the narrower end towards ...

'' N.A.Wakef. – tiny spyridium (N.S.W., Vic.) *''

Spyridium coactilifolium ''Spyridium coactilifolium'', commonly known as butterfly spyridium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae. It has white-velvety flowers and oval shaped leaves that are thickly covered in soft hairs. Description ''Spyridium ...

'' Reissek – butterfly spyridium (S.A.) *''

Spyridium coalitum ''Spyridium coalitum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It is a slender, erect shrub with softly-hairy young stems, oblong to narrowly elliptic leaves, and head of wh ...

'' Kellerman & W.R.Barker (S.A.) *''

Spyridium cordatum ''Spyridium cordatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate, straggling or ascending shrub with leathery, broadly heart-shaped leaves with a notched tip ...

'' (Turcz.) Benth. (W.A.) *''

Spyridium daltonii ''Spyridium daltonii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Victoria in Australia. It is a shrub with softly-hairy branchlets, linear to narrowly elliptic leaves, and small groups of hairy, yellowish flowers ...

'' (F.Muell.) Kellermann (Vic.) *''

'' Fenzl – heath spyridium, heath dustymiller (N.S.W., Vic., S.A., Tas.) *''

Spyridium erymnocladum ''Spyridium erymnocladum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a low, woody shrub with linear leaves, and heads of about seven woolly-hairy flowers. Description ''Spyridium erymnoc ...

'' W.R.Barker (S.A.) *''

Spyridium fontis-woodii ''Spyridium fontis-woodii'', commonly known as Woods Well spyridium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to a small area of Coorong National Park in South Australia. It is a slender shrub with softly-hairy yo ...

'' Kellerman & W.R.Barker – Woods Well spyridium (S.A.) *'' Spyridium furculentum'' W.R.Barker & Kellerman – forked spyridium (Vic.) *''

Spyridium glaucum ''Spyridium glaucum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of south-western Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with egg-shaped leaves, and clusters of 3 to 6 rusty-hairy f ...

'' Rye (W.A.) *''

Spyridium globulosum ''Spyridium globulosum'', commonly known as basket bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to coastal areas in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with relatively large leaves and heads of fl ...

'' (Labill.) Benth. – basket bush (W.A.) *''

Spyridium gunnii ''Spyridium gunnii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is an upright shrub with more or less glabrous, egg-shaped leaves, the narrower end towards the base, and mostly more than long. The ...

'' (Hook.f.) Benth. (Tas.) *''

Spyridium halmaturinum ''Spyridium halmaturinum'', commonly known as Kangaroo Island spyridium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It is an erect, sticky shrub with densely softly-hairy young ...

'' (F.Muell.) F.Muell. ex Benth. (S.A.) *''

Spyridium lawrencei ''Spyridium lawrencei'', commonly known as small-leaf spyridium or small-leaf dustymiller, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is an erect, compact or straggling shrub with small, leathery, ro ...

'' (Hook.f.) Benth. (Tas.) *''

Spyridium leucopogon ''Spyridium leucopogon'', commonly known as silvery spyridium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It is a small, slender shrub with narrowly linear leaves, and hea ...

'' (F.Muell. ex Reissek) F.Muell. (S.A.) *''

Spyridium majoranifolium ''Spyridium majoranifolium'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a shrub that typically grows to a height of and has white to cream-coloured or yellow flowers from Feb ...

'' (Fenzl) Rye (W.A.) *''

Spyridium microcephalum ''Spyridium microcephalum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading or erect shrub with linear leaves and heads of woolly-hairy flowers. Description ''Sp ...

'' (Turcz.) Benth. (W.A.) *''

Spyridium minutum ''Spyridium minutum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with broadly egg-shaped or heart-shaped leaves, and groups of two or three hairy, ...

'' Rye (W.A.) *''

Spyridium montanum ''Spyridium montanum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the Stirling Range in the south of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with elliptic or egg-shaped leaves, and groups of up to ten densely hair ...

'' Rye (W.A.) *''

Spyridium mucronatum ''Spyridium mucronatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub usually with narrowly oblong leaves, and dense clusters of up to ten densely h ...

'' Rye (W.A.) *''

Spyridium nitidum ''Spyridium nitidum'', commonly known as shining spyridium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect, spindly shrub with narrowly elliptic or narrowly egg-sha ...

'' N.A.Wakef. (S.A., Vic.) *'' Spyridium obcordatum'' (Hook.f.) W.M.Curtis (Tas.) *''

Spyridium obovatum ''Spyridium obovatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is an upright shrub that typically grows to a height of and has egg-shaped leaves, the narrower end towards the base, and about lon ...

'' (Hook.) Benth. (Tas.) *''

Spyridium oligocephalum ''Spyridium oligocephalum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub that typically grows to a height of , its leaves glabrous except when very young. There ...

'' (Turcz.) Benth. (W.A.) *''

Spyridium parvifolium ''Spyridium parvifolium'', commonly known dusty miller, is a flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae. It has dark green leaves and clusters of small, whitish flowers at the end of branches. It is widespread in eastern states of Australia. De ...

'' (Hook.) F.Muell. (S.A., N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic., Tas.) *''

Spyridium phlebophyllum ''Spyridium phlebophyllum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a low shrub with rigid, egg-shaped leaves, and heads of flowers with a velvety, white floral leaf. Description ''Spy ...

'' (F.Muell.) F.Muell. (S.A.) *''

Spyridium phylicoides ''Spyridium phylicoides'', commonly known as narrow-leaved spyridium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a low shrub with rigid, linear or lance-shaped leaves, and heads of woolly-h ...

'' Reissek (S.A.) *'' Spyridium polycephalum'' (Turcz.) Rye (W.A.) * ''Spyridium'' × ''ramosissimum'' (Audas) Kellermann (Vic.) *''

Spyridium riparium ''Spyridium riparium'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub, usually with narrowly egg-shaped leaves, and clusters of densely hairy, white or cream-colour ...

'' Rye (W.A.) *'' Spyridium scabridum'' (Tate) Kellerman & W.R.Barker (S.A.) *''

Spyridium scortechinii ''Spyridium scortechinii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with egg-shaped to narrowly elliptic leaves, and dense heads of white, woolly-hairy flowers with brown bract ...

'' (F.Muell.) K.R.Thiele (N.S.W., Qld.) *''

Spyridium spadiceum ''Spyridium spadiceum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect or semi-prostrate shrub with narrowly oblong to oval leaves and heads of hairy flowers with brown b ...

'' (Fenzl) Benth. (W.A.) *'' Spyridium spathulatum'' F.Muell. ex Benth. (W.A., S.A.) *''

Spyridium stenophyllum ''Spyridium stenophyllum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south of South Australia. It is a sticky shrub with narrowly Y-shaped leaves, and heads of white to cream-coloured flowers surrounded by d ...

'' (Reissek) Kellerman & W.R.Barker (S.A.) *''

Spyridium subochreatum ''Spyridium subochreatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a low shrub with linear to oblong or narrowly egg-shaped leaves, and dense clusters of creamy-white flow ...

'' (F.Muell.) Reissek (W.A., S.A., Vic.) *''

Spyridium thymifolium ''Spyridium thymifolium'', commonly known as thyme-leaved spyridium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south-east of South Australia. It is a small shrub with egg-shaped to almost round leaves, and he ...

'' Reissek (S.A.) *''

Spyridium tricolor ''Spyridium tricolor'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is an erect shrub with broadly elliptic to round leaves, and dense clusters of densely woolly-hairy, cream-colo ...

'' W.R.Barker & Rye (W.A., S.A.) *'' Spyridium ulicinum'' (Hook.) Benth. (Tas.) *''

Spyridium vexilliferum ''Spyridium vexilliferum'', commonly known as winged spyridium, or helicopter bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a small, low-lying to erect shrub with linear to narr ...

'' (Hook.) Reissek (S.A., Vic., Tas.) *''

Spyridium villosum ''Spyridium villosum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with shaggy-hairy branchlets, linear to oblong leaves and dense heads of hairy flowers wit ...

'' (Turcz.) Benth. (W.A.) *''

Spyridium waterhousei ''Spyridium waterhousei'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It is an erect, slightly sticky shrub with linear leaves and heads of hairy flowers with three brown bract ...

'' F.Muell. (S.A.)

References

{{Authority control Rhamnaceae genera Rosales of Australia Taxa named by Eduard Fenzl