Diario de boobook99

When I started trying to identify plants in my area, Denmark Western Australia, I visited the local library and took out several books. Most of them had lots of photos and looked like they would be very helpful. One, a double volume tome called Flora of the South West: Bunbury - Augusta - Denmark, had no photos and didn't appeal very much but I borrowed it anyway. I then set about using the books.

I very quickly realised that the books with nice photos included barely any of the plants I was trying to identify and the only way of using them was to flip through hoping to find a match. Flora of the South West on the other hand has a key to lead to the right genus followed by keys within each genus to break it into groups. Finally descriptions within the groups allow an identification to be made to species level. All the other books went back to the library but this one I kept renewing endlessly - luckily no-one else ever wanted it!

I tried to find a copy of the book to buy but it is long out of print. I looked for a second hand copy without any success but then out of the blue one day I got an email from eBay that something matched my saved search. It turned out to be a copy in very good condition which I instantly bought - I would have settled for any condition!

The only problem with the book is that it was published in 2002 and lots of changes have occurred since then. Species have been moved from one genus to another and new species have been described. I have lots of ad-hoc notes about the place to help me with these changes.

My intention now is to tidy up these notes and make journal entries here so that they can help me and possibly others too, even if they don't have the book. What I intend to do is use Florabase to identify the species of a particular genus that are thought to be present in Denmark Shire and then work through the species cross referencing them to Flora of the South West or adding notes if they are new species or otherwise excluded from the book.

Leucopogon means white beard.

The following table lists the Leucopogon species which are shown by Florabase to have been collected in Denmark Shire. The second column shows whether the species was included in the book Flora of the South West and under what name if different. If the species was described after Flora of the South West was published, the paper describing the species is noted. Where a species is not included in Flora of the South West I have endeavored to provide some sort of description after the table.

L. decrescens

Only one collection so far in Denmark which was in the Nutcracker Road area. This was in 4/2003 and the plant was flowering.

L. gibbosus

At the time Flora of the South West was published there was only one collection, dating from the 1800s, of this species in Denmark Shire. That may be why it was excluded from the book. There has subsequently been a further collection identified in the north of the shire.

The Florabase profile for the species includes quite good photos.

The following description is from Flora Australiensis by George Bentham (1868) vol. 4 page 189.

An erect bushy shrub of 1 to 2 ft. (30–60cm), the branchlets pubescent. Leaves broadly orbicular, obtuse or with a small reflexed point, very convex with recurved margins, mostly reflexed and rarely above 1 line (2.5mm) diameter. Spikes short and dense, terminal or in the upper axils. Bracteoles thin, broad, ciliate, hirsute, more than half as long as the calyx. Sepals ciliate and hirsute, almost acute, about 1 line (2.5mm) long. Corolla-tube very short; lobes about 1 line (2.5mm) long. Anthers attached above the middle, with very short sterile tips. Hypogynous scales truncate, distinct or slightly cohering. Ovary in all the flowers examined 3-celled; style short.

L. interstans

The name interstans means standing in between. This refers to the species being somewhat intermediate between L. australis and L. capitellatus.

Shrub to 1.5m. Leaves 13–53 mm long, 1.3–5 mm wide with scabrous margins (unlike L.australis). Inflorescence erect, terminal and upperaxillary; axis 7–23 mm long, with 5–14 flowers. Sepals tinged reddish purple when in flower. Corolla tube white, about as long to distinctly shorter than sepals, 1–1.6 mm long, 1.5–1.8 mm wide, glabrous externally and internally. Corolla lobes white, often partially tinged pink or sometimes pink throughout, longer than the tube and densly bearded.

L. obovatus

Obovatus means opposite of egg shape ie obovate with the broadest part above the middle and refers to the leaves.

Revolutus refers to the revolute (curled back) leaf margins - both sub species exhibit this characteristic.

Ssp. obovatus has very short hairs (approx. 0.1 mm) on the branchlets whereas ssp. revolutus has a similar layer of short hairs and a further layer of longer hairs (0.3–1 mm). The lower surface of the leaves may also have similar hairs.

Denmark is in the integrade zone for the 2 subspecies so it may be difficult to differentiate between them. Ssp. revolutus is likely to be more common based on the distribution shown by Florabase.

L. rubricaulis

Rubricaulis means red stemmed.

L. sp. “Southern Forests”

I believe this is a phrase name used by the Western Australian Herbarium (and therefore Florabase) for L. unilateralis specimens from outside the Stirling and Porongurup Ranges. I do not know what distinguishes the two species other than location. Other herbariums continue to call such specimens L. unilateralis and there is a record on Australian Virtual Herbarium for a collection which includes a scan of the specimen. The sepals on this specimen are quite pointed and long in relation to the corolla tube.

There is a specimen in B.G. Hamersley’s herbarium labled L. unilateralis.

Note L. unilateralis and so presumably this species, has a longer style than the other Leucopogon species which were not transferred to the Styphelia genus. The style is exserted but probably only to the point where the corolla lobes bend over.

L. tamariscinus

There is a photo of this species on Flickr which was posted by Kevin Thiele, a botanist. There is also a specimen in B.G. Hammersley’s herbarium.

The following description is from Flora Australiensis by George Bentham (1868) vol. 4 page 196.

An erect shrub of 2 to 3 ft. (60–90cm), with virgate branches and often numerous short branchlets, glaborous or sprinkled with a few hairs. Leaves erect, ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, concave, often dilated near the base and almost embracing the stem, the larger ones on the main branches often 2 to 3 lines (5–7.5mm) long, those on the smaller, slender branchlets under 1 line (2.5mm), all usually turning black in drying, and the upper ones passing into the bracts. Spikes terminal, cylindrical and slender, many-flowered, 1/2 to 1 in. (12.5–25mm) long. Bracts like the stem-leaves, but smaller; bractcoles broad, shortly acuminate, not half so long as the calyx. Sepals under 1 line (2.5mm) long, rather acute. Corolla 1 1/4 to nearly 1 1/2 lines (3–4mm) long, the lobes equal to or rather longer than the tube. Anthers attached below the minute sterile tips. Hypogynous disk obtusely lobed or the scales quite distinct. Ovary 2-celled; style short.

Stpyhelia from the Greek styphos tough, harsh.

The following table lists the Styphelia species which are shown by Florabase to have been collected in Denmark Shire. The second column shows whether the species was included in the book Flora of the South West and under what name if different. If the species was described after Flora of the South West was published, the paper describing the species is noted. Where a species is not included in Flora of the South West I have endeavored to provide some sort of description after the table.

S. flavescens

When the book was published there were no collections identified as this species (which was then known as Leucopogon flavescens) in the area covered by the book. Two collections have since been so identified one of which is in Denmark Shire.

The following description is from Flora Australiensis by George Bentham (1868) vol. 4 page 212.

A shrub of 2 to 4 ft. (60–120cm), with erect branches, minutely pubescent, the foliage of a pale yellowish hue when dry. Leaves rather crowded, erect, oblong-linear, obtuse or with a minute callous point, flat or nearly so, contracted into a very short petiole, 1/4 to 1/2 in. (6–12mm) long. Flowers axillary, solitary on an exceedingly short pedicel, the subtending bracts and rudimentary flower of the other species entirely wanting. Bracteoles broad, ciliate, about half as long as the calix. Sepals under 1 line (2.5mm) long, almost acute, with thin, ciliate margins. Anthers attached above the middle, obtuse, without sterile tips. Hypogynous scales shortly acuminate, free or slightly cohering. Ovary oblong, 2-celIed; style rather long. Fruit oblong, flat, nearly 3 lines (7.5mm) long, with 3 to 5 raised ribs on each side, and contracted into a stipes at least as long as the calyx.

S. inframediana

It is likely that the only areas this species occurs within Denmark Shire are Mount Lindesay and Little Lindesay (an iNat observation further west has been made since I wrote this). It mainly flowers April to June. Shrub to about 90cm, single stemmed at ground level. Leaves 3.5–9mm long 1–2.5mm wide, convex (upper surface rounded) top surface shiny, lower surface paler, matt and with clearly visible veins, sharp point on tip. Flowers pendulous, corolla tube shorter than lobes but generally longer than sepals, style exserted well beyond the erect portion of the corolla lobes.

S. madida ssp madida

Flowers mainly January to April. Shrub to about 1.5m, single stemmed at ground level. Leaves 8–21 mm long, 0.8–3.8 mm (usually less than 1.8mm) wide, convex (upper surface rounded), sharp point on tip. Flowers pendulous (unlike S. propinqus and S. racemolus where they are spreading), corolla tube shorter than lobes but generally longer than sepals, style exserted beyond the erect portion of the corolla lobes.

Agonis from the Greek agon, a gathering or collection. Probably refers to the small tight flower heads.

The following table lists the Agonis species which are shown by Florabase to have been collected in Denmark Shire. The second column shows whether the species was included in the book Flora of the South West and under what name if different. Most of the Agonis species which were included in the book have since been transferred to the Taxandria genus.

A. flexuosa var. latifolia

A. flexuosa is the well known (Western Australian) Peppermint. Var. latifolia is possibly a hybrid of A. flexuosa and A. theiformis. It is not common in Denmark but can be found on Light’s Road.

Updated 29/11/2023.

See this INDEX for my other journal posts.

Taxandria from the Latin tax, arranged and andrus, male. Refers to the stamens arranged regularly opposite the petals and sepals.

The following table lists the Taxandria species which are shown by Florabase to have been collected in Denmark Shire plus Taxandria angustifolia (see note below). The second column shows whether the species was included in the book Flora of the South West and under what name if different.

T. angustifolia

Florabase does not show this species occuring in Denmark Shire. There has, however, been a collection made in 2001 in the shire on the Bibulmum track between Ocean Beach Road and Light’s Road over Mount Hallowell but the GPS point has been mislocated to the Nulaki Peninsula. The collection was, in any case, after the book was published and the species was not included in the book.

Erect shrub to 3.5m tall. Leaves are stated in the Nuytsia article to be 8–23mm long and 0.6–1.5mm wide. In a plant I saw on Mount Hallowell which I believe to be this species, the leaves were up to 28mm long and 3mm wide. The leaves are concave above, covex below and thick. Flower clusters are usually axillary but may terminate short shoots. Sepals are triangular and pointed. Flowers January to July but petals persist long after that (at least until late November).

The Nuytsia article states that this a variable species with several disjunct populations and with extensive variation within thos populations. The population that appears to exist on Mount Hallowell was not discussed in the article even though the collection referred to above was made 6 years before the article was published. It is possible that the collection had not been identified as this species when the article was written.

Astartea from the goddess Astarte (equivalent to Venus) to whom the myrtles were sacred.

The following table lists the Astartea species which are shown by Florabase to have been collected in Denmark Shire. The second column shows whether the species was included in the book Flora of the South West and under what name if different. If the species was described after Flora of the South West was published, the paper describing the species is noted. Where a species is not included in Flora of the South West I have endeavored to provide some sort of description after the table.

A. corniculata

When the book was published there were no collections identified as this species in the area covered by the book. Three collections have since been so identified two of which are in Denmark Shire. There is a full description of the species in Nuytsia 23:229(2013). A short description follows.

Low, lignotuberous shrub. Flowers 4–6.5mm diameter. Sepals prominently horned. Petals 1.7–2.5mm long, white or pale pink. Stamens usually 15–20 in bundles of 2–5 opposite the sepals.

A. sp. “Southern Ranges”

It is hard to get information on ‘phrase name’ species. Three collections have been made in Denmark Shire, all in January 2003 in the same area (Watershed Road). The following description is synthesised from the notes with those collections and the photos on Florabase. Plants lignotuberous, multi-stemmed, stems to 1.5 m, flowers pale, calyx lobes with tubercles and a rounded membranous margin, sepals rounded, ridged, stamens in 5 bundles of 3–5 opposite the sepals.

Flora of the South West: Bunbury - Augusta - Denmark
About the book and an introduction to my later posts tracking changes to plant names used in the book and new species but only for those found in Denmark.

Flora of Denmark WA

Anthericaceae

Thysanotus

Ericaceae (previously Epacridaceae)

Andersonia
Leucopogon
Styphelia

Fabaceae

Sphaerolobium

Goodeniaceae

Scaevola

Myrtaceae

Tricky Little Myrtles of Denmark Shire
Agonis
Astartea
Melaleuca
Melaleucas that aren't!
Taxandria

Pittosporaceae

Billardiera
Marianthus

Restionaceae

Hypolaena
Leptocarpus

Flora of other areas in WA

Red Flowered Styphelia Species of Jurien Bay and Surrounds
Calothamnus Species of Fitzgerald River and Surrounds
Sphenotoma Species and key

Billardiera named after Jacques-Julien Houtou de la Billardiére (1755–1834), botanist.

The following table lists the Billardiera species which are shown by Florabase to have been collected in Denmark Shire. The second column shows whether the species was included in the book Flora of the South West and under what name if different. If the species was described after Flora of the South West was published, the paper describing the species is noted. Where a species is not included in Flora of the South West I have endeavored to provide some sort of description after the table.

B. coriacea

When the book was published there were only two collections in the area it covered and perhaps this is why it was excluded. The following description is from Wikipedia and covered by Creative Commons Attribution-shareAlike Licence 3.0.

Billardiera coriacea is a woody scrambler or climber that has its new shoots covered with a few silky hairs, but later glabrous. Its young leaves are broadly elliptic, 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) long and 15–25 mm (0.59–0.98 in) wide, the adult leaves more or less oblong, 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) long and 15–25 mm (0.59–0.98 in) wide on a short petiole. The flowers are arranged singly or in small groups on a peduncle 8–14 mm (0.31–0.55 in) long. The sepals are 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and the petals white to pale yellow, later dark blue to purple, and 14–16 mm (0.55–0.63 in) long, the lobes spreading but not turned back. Flowering occurs from May to November and the mature fruit is a dark purple berry 20–25 mm (0.79–0.98 in) long with the seeds in papery liners.

B. drummondii

I have included a description summarised from Australian Systematic Botany 17, 121–123(2004) so that it is similar to those of B. fusiformis and B. heterophylla below as the three species are easily confused.

Slender twiner. Adult leaves 10–20 (30) mm × 2–3 mm, linear, stalks 1–2 mm long, margins undulate, slightly thickened; tips with a small point; both leaf surfaces softly hairy. Inflorescences terminal cymes, 1–3 flowers nodding on slender pedicels 6–7 mm long. Sepals 2–3 mm long, very narrrow and pointe, densely hairy; petals 6–8 mm long, slightly obovate, blue, mauve. Stamens with anthers yellowish, longer than filaments. Fruit spindle-shaped, less than 10 mm long, dark green or purple. Flowers spring to early autumn.

B. fusiformis

For a long while this species was merged into B. heterophylla. In 2004 it was reinstated.

Climber, rarely bushy. Adult leaves 25–50 × 2–6 mm, linear to narrow elliptic, almost stemless, both leaf surfaces may be softly hairy. Inflorescences terminal cymes of usually less than 4 flowers, rachides to 10–15 mm long, peduncles 6–10 mm. Calyx 2–3 mm long, lobes approximately equal in size, both surfaces often silky hairy, very narrow and pointed, purple. Petals 6–11 × 3 mm, elliptic to angular-obovate, cuspidate, apices often hairy, always recurving at least slightly, usually vivid azure blue, may also be pale blue to pink. Stamens with filaments equal to or shorter than anthers; anthers 3.5–4.5 mm long. Fruit less than 20 mm long, fusiform (spindle shaped). Flowering late spring and summer.

B. heterophylla

Florabase does not include Denmark as a location this species has been collected. Perhaps it is regarded as a colonising plant in disturbed areas. It is along the rail trails that I have seen it. Otherwise I may have been misidentifying some B. fusiformis plants as this species.

The description in the book is for this species when it included B. fusiformis so leaf sizes and so on are broadly described to cover the range of both species. I have therefore included a description which is summarised from Australian Systematic Botany 17, 119–121(2004).

Woody, rounded shrubs, often with some climbing branches. Adult leaves alternate, mostly ovate, 30–50 mm × 10–20 mm, narrower in climbing branches; stalks 2–3 mm long, both leaf surfaces hairless. Inflorescences terminal cymes with up to 10 nodding flowers; rachides to 30 mm long, peduncles 8–20 mm long. Sepals with unequal lobes, less than 3 mm long, purple. Petals 7–10 × 3–4 mm wide, obovate, margins incurving, apices not reflexing; normally sky blue but may also be white or pink. Stamens with anthers about the same length as filaments. Fruit 20–30 mm long, cylindrical (when mature), green-purple. Flowering mainly in summer.

* Not necessarily reliable based on my observations.

Note: The paper from Australian Systematic Botany referred to above is freely available on ResearchGate.

Marianthus from Maria, the Virgin Mary, and the Greek anthos a flower. On account of the white colour of the original species Marianthus candidus

The following table lists the Marianthus species which are shown by Florabase to have been collected in Denmark Shire. The second column shows whether the species was included in the book Flora of the South West and under what name if different. If the species was described after Flora of the South West was published, the paper describing the species is noted. Where a species is not included in Flora of the South West I have endeavored to provide some sort of description after the table.

M. candidus

There is only one record shown in Florabase for a collection within Denmark Shire. This record is from 1979 and shows the location as “Downe Road Wood Reserve”. I believe this refers to Down Road Nature Reserve which is 14km northwest of Albany, not in Denmark Shire. Both the book and the paper, Australian Systematic Botany 17 127–144(2004), reinstating and revising the genus state the distribution does not extend further east than around Pemberton and Manjimup. The paper further states that the species is often confused with Billardiera floribunda so the few collections further east than the range given in the book and paper are possibly misidentified.

M. drummondianus

It appears there were no collections identified as this species within the area covered by the book when it was written. Several collections have now been identified as this species including one by B.G. Hammersley in 1998 at Millar’s Basin in the north of the Denmark Shire.

Slender, twining shrub. Adult leaves 10–18 × 4–6 mm, elliptic, stalkless. Inflorescences few flowered terminal umbels, peduncles to 23 mm long, nodding; sepals to 5 mm, narrow and pointed, hairy; petals 17–18 mm long; blue, darkening with age, developing contrasting darker blotches in throat. Filaments eventually blue; anthers white. Fruit 10–11 × 7 mm, stalked, ovate, blue initially becoming brown. Flowering August–October.

M. sylvaticus

The paper states that this species is only known from the Walpole area. The book however gives a distibution from Walpole to Denmark and north to Mount Lindesay, extending east to Albany. From my observations the species is common on Mount Lindesay and occurs on Mount Hallowell.

Slender climber, stems red-brown, sparsely hairy. Adult leaves 50–85 × 4–6 mm, linear to narrowly eliptic, base narrowing to a distinct stalk about 5 mm long. Inflorescences many flowered clusters, pedicels about 10mm long. Sepals 2–3 mm, pointed and sparsely hairy. Flowers blue fading to white with prominent purple venation, not spotted. Stamens filaments cream, anthers ovoid, white with a blue stripe. Ovary hairless, style short. Flowers in autumn.

Updated 19/3/2024. Index to my other posts.

Scaevola from Latin scaevus, on the left refers to the one-sided corolla of many species.

The following table lists the Scaevola species which are shown by Florabase to have been collected in Denmark Shire. The second column shows whether the species was included in the book Flora of the South West and under what name if different. If the species was described after Flora of the South West was published, the paper describing the species is noted. Where a species is not included in Flora of the South West I have endeavored to provide some sort of description after the table.

S. calliptera / S. striata

These species are very similar. The difference is in the hairs on the stem and flower stalk which in S. calliptra are straight and at right angles to the axis whereas in S. striata they are upward pointing.

The following is from Flora of the Perth Region and gives some further differences:
Scaevola calliptera - “Previously confused with S. striata R. Br. which does not occur in the region. S. striata differs from S. calliptera in having antrorsely, more or less appressed scabrous hairs on the stems and peduncles, as well as shorter calyx lobes which are not more than twice as long as the calyx tube.”

Here are some photos showing the calyx lobes:

S. calliptera - (c) pimelea, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) Observation

S. striata - (c) Anneke Jonker, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) Observation

S. nitida

This species is often misidentified as S. crassifolia (Cushion Fanflower), a species which Florabase does not include as occuring in Denmark and which I have not found there. All the iNat observations in Denmark for S. crassifolia I have gone to look at have turned out to be S. nitida. The most obvious difference between the two species is that the leaves of S. crassifolia are paddle shaped and have stalks whereas those of S. nitida are elliptic or obovate, toothed, usually pointed and with, at most, a very short stalk.