Family: Malvaceae
Lawrencia berthae
Citation:
Melville, Kew Bull. 20:514 (1967).
Synonymy: Plagianthus berthae F. Muell., Fragm. Phyt. Aust. 5:103 (1866).
Common name: Showy lawrencia.
Description:
Small stellate-pubescent greyish-green dioecious shrubs with many slender herbaceous branches; leaves elliptic to obovate-cuneate, shallowly V-shaped in section, coarsely toothed except towards the base, the blade 5-20 mm long, on distinct petioles 2-20 mm long; stipules subulate-lanceolate, to 3 mm long.
Flowers 1-3 in the axils of leaves, on filiform 1- or 2-flowered peduncles 5-20 mm long, when the peduncles bear 2 flowers the flowers are each long-pedicellate; calyx pubescent, divided at least halfway into ovate-lanceolate acute or acuminate segments, 5-7 mm long; petals white, entire, 5-6 mm long in female flowers, c. 12 mm long in males, obovate; styles 6 or 7, united for about half their length, terete; ovary 6- or 7-celled, pubescent.
Fruit stellate-bristly on the back, almost black, c. 2.5 mm long, finely reticulate on the sides, with opaque elongated cavities.
| Lawrencia berthae twig and leaves.
|
Image source: fig 438a in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).
|
Distribution:
|
S.Aust.: EP, MU, YP. W. Aust.; Vic.
|
Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: Sept. (2 records).
|
SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
|
Biology:
No text
Taxonomic notes:
As most specimens were away on loan at the time of writing, the above description is taken, unchecked, from published sources.
Author:
Not yet available
|