Photo © W.R.Barker

Synonymy

Hakea pendens R.M.Barker, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 13: 100 (1990)

T: near Marvel Loch, W.A., 1 Sept. 1978, P.Luscombe s.n.; holo: PERTH.

Hakea sp. 5 (Parker Range), J.D.Briggs & J.H.Leigh, Rare or Threatened Austral. Pl. 123 (1988).

Description

Shrub, 1.9–2.7 m tall, 2.5–3.1 m wide. Branchlets and young leaves appressed-sericeous, ferruginous, quickly glabrescent. Leaves simple, 2–4 cm long, 1.9–2 mm wide; mucro 1–2.5 mm long.

Inflorescence pendent from apex of old branched rachises, with 6 or 8 flowers; rachis hirsute; pedicels 6.5–7.5 mm long, cream-white, pink distally. Perianth c. 7–8 mm long, light pink at base, darker above; limb white inside and out. Pistil 14–15.5 mm long; pollen presenter conical.

Fruit obliquely obovate, 2.8–3.1 cm long, 1.4–1.8 cm wide, black-pusticulate; apiculum c. 2 mm long; horns obscure. Seed 17 mm long; wing broadly down one side of seed body, narrowly down other.

Distribution and ecology

Only known from the Parker Ra. in W.A. where it occurs on ironstone or stony ridges in stony loam of mixed scrub.

To plot an up to date distribution map based on herbarium collections for this species see Australia's Virtual Herbarium. Localities outside the native range may represent cultivated or naturalised records.

Flowering time

Flowers only recorded in Sept., but probably also flowering in August and October.

Derivation of name

The epithet pendens, Latin for pendulous, is a reference to the hanging flowers.

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Relationships

Part of Section Hakea of Bentham (as Euhakea) and characterised by a non-conical pollen presenter, leaves without obvious venation, perianths with or without hairs and fruits with or without horns. Barker et al. (1999) recognised a number of informal morphological groups within the section.

Within this section 5 species were assigned to the informal Verrucosa group by Barker et al. (1999). This group is not monophyletic but is held together by the shared morphological characteristics associated with bird pollination. All species have large pink or red flowers in which the tepals remain fused, splitting to the base only between the upper pair and they have a long pistil usually with a lateral pollen presenter.

Members of the group are H. bakeriana, H. pendens, H. purpurea, H. rhombales and H. verrucosa. While two of the species are found in SW WA and two are found in eastern Australia one of them (H. rhombales ) is found in central Australia.

Notes

This species, distinguishable by its large glabrous pink flowers in pendent inflorescences, had been known for some time in cultivation before its formal recognition as a species.

Probably closest to H. verrucosa from which it varies in its unbranched rachis, longer pedicels, shorter pistil length, conical pollen presenter and broader leaves. Similar in fruit to H. newbeyana , from which it varies in flower colour and size and leaf width and orientation, and also to H. purpurea from Qld. Occasional compound leaves (usually tripartite) occur on a plant in cultivation in Wittunga Botanic Gardens, S.A., but it is not known whether they occur in natural populations.

Conservation status

In Western Australia denoted as Priority Two - Poorly Known: taxa which are known from one or a few (generally <5) populations, at least some of which are not believed to be under immediate threat (i.e. not currently endangered). Such taxa are under consideration for declaration as ‘rare flora’, but are in urgent need of further survey.

Atkins, K.J. (2008). Declared Rare and Priority Flora List for Western Australia , 26 February 2008. (Dept of Environment and Conservation. Como , W.A.).

Representative specimens

W.A.: Parker Ra., on summit ridge, J.S.Beard 5934 (KPBG); Mt Caudan, Parker Ra., c. 48 km SE of Southern Cross, K.Newbey 9218 (PERTH); Reserve SW of Southern Cross, 19 May 1969, Kennecott Explorations s.n. (PERTH).

Weblinks

Link to FloraBase treatment of this species for WA.

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Further illustrations

W.R.Elliot & D.L.Jones, Encycl. Austral. Pl. 5: 238 (1990)

I. Holliday, Hakeas. A Field and Garden Guide 158-9 (2005)

J.A..Young, Hakeas of Western Australia. A Field and Identification Guide 87(2006)