Hakea eriantha R.Br., Suppl. Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl. 29 (1830)

T: prope fl. Hastings (Oxley's 2nd expedition), N.S.W., 1818, C.Fraser 40; syn: B, BM; prope fl. Hastings (Oxley's 2nd expedition), N.S.W., 1818, C.Fraser 47; syn: BM; prope fl. Hastings (Oxley's 2nd expedition), N.S.W., 1818, C.Fraser s.n.; syn: K p.p.

Hakea glaucina Gand., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 66: 230 (1919). T: near Buchan, Vic., Sept. 1910, J.W.Audas s.n.; holo: LY.

Hakea cymbaecarpa Gand., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 66: 230 (1919). T: near Harrietville, Vic., 31 May 1910, J.W.Audas s.n.; holo: LY.

Hakea eucalyptiformis Gand., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 66: 230 (1919). T: Sydney, N.S.W., June 1893, R.T.Baker s.n.; holo: LY.

Hakea recondita Gand., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 66: 230 (1919). T: Queensland, 1902, C.Walter s.n.; holo: LY.

Hakea betchei Gand., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 66: 230 (1919). T: Tenterfield, N.S.W., Oct. 1886, E.Betche s.n.; holo: LY; iso: NSW.

Small tree or dense shrub, 1–5 m tall, ?lignotuberous. Branchlets and young leaves appressed-pubescent, glabrescent. Leaves linear, narrowly elliptic or obovate, 8–18.5 cm long, 1–30 mm wide, attenuate, acute; mucro 0.5–1.5 mm long.

Inflorescence axillary with 6–10 flowers; involucre c. 2.5–3.5 mm long; pedicels 2.5–6 mm long, densely pubescent with hairs white, extending onto perianth. Perianth 3.5–6.5 mm long, white. Pistil 7–8.5 mm long; pollen presenter lateral below style apex, 1.2–1.5 mm long; gland 0.2 mm high.

Fruit obovate, somewhat sigmoidal, 1.9–3.2 cm long, 1.2–1.6 cm wide, smooth, brown-pusticulate; apiculum 3.5–4.5 mm long. Seed obliquely narrowly obovate, 19.5–20.5 mm long; wing apical only.

Easily confused with H. florulenta which has similarly shaped fruit. However H. eriantha has pubescent flowers while H. florulenta has glabrous flowers. Some variation in flower size is encountered, but this is apparently not linked with any other factor.

W.M.Molyneux has sent specimens from Yambulla Peak track on the upper reaches of the Genoa R., Vic., which have leaves that are consistently up to 30 mm wide. I [RMB] have seen no other specimens in which the leaves are consistently as wide as this, the usual width being between 10 and 20 mm, rather than the extremes given in the description. Lignotubers have been recorded on some collections e.g. Ballingall 2546, but Molyneux notes that neither the broad-leaved form from Yambulla Peak nor the more usual narrow-leaved form, which also occurs there, is lignotuberous. Molyneux has also documented the following differences between the two forms. The narrow-leaved form is a larger plant with a neat semi-weeping habit and brown plating bark, vigorous and free-fruiting in cultivation and is not predated by parrots. The broad-leaved form is an upright untidily open plant with smooth grey bark, setting few fruit in cultivation, and is predated by parrots.

The distinct gap between northern and southern populations of this species meant that it was investigated closely to see if the two had diverged. Unfortunately there was insufficient flowering material of the northern population (the southern population on the other hand was represented by copious flowering material) to detect whether there were any real differences. There is a tendency for the northern populations to have smaller flowers and it is possible that the flowering time is different, but better material and field observations are needed.