Petrophile longifolia

Petrophile longifolia, commonly known as the long-leaved cone bush is a shrub which is native to the south west of Western Australia, growing between the city of Albany and the Stirling Range.[1]

Long-leaved cone bush
P. longifolia in the Stirling Range.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Petrophile
Species:
P. longifolia
Binomial name
Petrophile longifolia

Description

Petrophile longifolia is a ground-hugging shrub without a lignotuber, but with short stems and long (20–40 cm), thin cylindrical leaves with a sharp-pointed end. The flower heads are silky, cream in colour, 4–6 cm across, at the ends of short branches and surrounded by many short, pointed, leaf-like bracts. The flowers appear in late spring and early summer and are followed by long, oval-shaped fruits which, like others of the genus, only release their seeds after a fire or the death of the plant.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Petrophile longifolia was first formally described in 1830 by Robert Brown from a specimen collected in 1829 near King George Sound by William Baxter. The description was published in Supplementum primum Prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae[4] The specific epithet (longifolia) is derived from the Latin words longus meaning "long" and folium meaning "leaf".[5]

Distribution and habitat

Long-leaved cone bush is found in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah forest, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren biogeographical regions.[6] It grows in sand, gravel, sandy loam or clay on sandplains.[7]

Cultivation

Petrophile longifolia, like others of its genus is not often cultivated but although it is a western species, is more reliable in humid east coast gardens than many others. It performs best in areas with dry summers and well drained soils in a sunny position.[3]

Conservation status

Petrophile longifolia is not threatened at present.[7]

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References
  1. "Petrophile longifolia". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 21 February 2015
  2. Erickson, Rica; George, Alex; Marchant, Neville; Morcombe, Michael (1982). Flowers and plants of Western Australia (Repr. ed.). Sydney: Reed. p. 61. ISBN 058950116X.
  3. "Petrophile longifolia". Australian native plant society (Australia). Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  4. "Petrophile longifoliaR.Br". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  5. Backer, C.A. (1936). Verklarend woordenboek der wetenschappelijke namen van de in Nederland en Nederlandsch-Indië in het wild groeiende en in tuinen en parken gekweekte varens en hoogere planten (Edition Nicoline van der Sijs).
  6. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 500. ISBN 0646401009.
  7. "Petrophile longifoliaR.Br". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
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