Summary
Petrophile trifurcata is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-western Western Australia. It is a shrub with three-lobed, needle-shaped, sharply-pointed leaves, and spherical heads of hairy, yellow flowers.
| Petrophile trifurcata | |
|---|---|
| |
| A=flowering branchlet; B=style; C=fruiting branchlet; D,E=upper and lower surfaces of nut | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Petrophile |
| Species: | P. trifurcata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Petrophile trifurcata | |
Description edit
Petrophile trifurcata is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 35–65 cm (14–26 in) and has hairy young branchlets that become glabrous as they age. The leaves are 10–16 mm (0.39–0.63 in) long and needle-shaped, mostly with three sharply-pointed lobes up to 6 mm (0.24 in) long. The flowers are arranged at the ends of branchlets in sessile, spherical heads 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) in diameter, with egg-shaped involucral bracts at the base. The flowers are about 10 mm (0.39 in) long, yellow and hairy. Flowering has been observed in September and the fruit is a nut, fused with others in a spherical head about 12 mm (0.47 in) in diameter.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy edit
Petrophile trifurcata was first formally described in 1995 by Donald Bruce Foreman in Flora of Australia from material collected near Wongan Hills in 1983.[5] The specific epithet (trifurcata) means "three-forked", referring to the three-pronged leaves.[6]
Distribution and habitat edit
This petrophile is only known from a few locations near Wongan Hills and between Watheroo and Coorow in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic regions, growing in sandy soil with Actinostrobus arenarius.[2][3][4]
Conservation status edit
This petrophile is classified as "Priority Two" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife[3] meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations.[7]
References edit
- ^ "Petrophile trifurcata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ a b Foreman, David B. "Petrophile trifurcata". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ a b c "Petrophile trifurcata". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ a b Rye, Barbara L.; Hislop, Michael C.; Shepherd, Kelly A.; Hollister, Chris (2011). "New south-western Australian members of the genus Petrophile (Proteaceae: Petrophileae), including a hybrid" (PDF). Nuytsia. 21 (2): 56–57. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Petrophile trifurcata". APNI. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 327. ISBN 9780958034180.
- ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 12 January 2021.