Citation: R. Br., Trans. Linn. Soc. 10:180 (1810).

Synonymy: -Hakea florigera Gand., Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 66:229 (1919); Hakea kippistiana sensu J. Black, Fl. S. Aust. 265 (1948), auct. non Meissner; Hakea leucoptera R. Br. var. kippistiana sensu J. Black, Fl. S. Aust. 265 (1948), pro syn., auct. non (Meissner)F. Muell.

Common name: Needle bush, (silver) needlewood, needle hakea, pin bush, water tree, kulua.

Description:
Small shrub to tree, 1-8 m tall; branches erect or ascending, rarely irregular or drooping; leaves 3.5-10 cm X 1.3-2 mm, white-pubescent, glabrescent, not grooved, apex straight, rarely curved, mucro 1.5-5.5 mm long.

Inflorescence an umbelliform raceme of 18-45 white to yellow flowers; rhachis simple or with 1 or 2 basal buds sometimes developing into branches, 6-14 mm long, white-woolly-pubescent; pedicel and perianth raised-pubescent, the tube sometimes glabrous; pedicel 2-6.5 mm long; torus oblique; perianth 3-4.5 mm long, limb 0.8-1.2 mm long; anthers 0.4-0.6 mm long; gland semi-annular, 0.4-0.5 mm long laterally; pistil 7-11 mm long, vertically inserted; pollen-presenter a disc, D.6-0.9 mm long.

Fruit 1.7-3.2 cm long, smooth, sometimes sparsely pusticulate, in median view ovate, 1-1.6 cm wide, in lateral view broad-ovate, 1-2 cm wide, with a broad beak, narrow beak and horns obscure, the apex truncate, dehiscing fully down both sides, with the area beside the seed cavity white, rarely with broad white and dark bands; seed 1.4-2.8 X 0.6-1.2 cm, body 0.6-1 cm long, sometimes with a short lateral ridge, wing decurrent half to full length down one side of the body only, cream to brown-white, sometimes darker at the base.

	twig, inflorescence, flower, pistil and internal face and external median veiw
Image source: fig. 76b in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 217.

Distribution:  In sand to clay soils of grassland, shrubland or woodland on dunes, plains or hills.   All mainland States. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Aug. — early Jan.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available