Photo © W.R.Barker

Synonymy

Hakea propinqua A.Cunn., in B.Field, Geogr. Mem. New South Wales 327 (1825)

T: near Caley's Repulse, Blue Mtns, N.S.W., Oct. 1822, A.Cunningham s.n.; lecto: K, fide W.R.Barker, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 17: 202 (1996); probable isolecto: BR, G-DC, ?K; possible remaining syntypes: Blue Mtns, N.S.W., 1822, A.Cunningham 33 or 195: syn; BM, K; Blue Mtns, N.S.W., s.d., Anon. 33; syn: MEL.

[Hakea verrucosa auct. non F.Muell.: F.J.H. von Mueller, Fragm. 5: 25 (1865), p.p.]

Description

Small conifer-like tree or shrub to c. 1–5 m high, not lignotuberous. Branchlets longitudinally multi-ribbed, deep red, moderately to densely raised-tomentose, quickly glabrescent to persistent in grooves. Leaves terete, somewhat flexible, not grooved, (1.5–) 2.5–7 (–8.5) cm long, 1–1.3 mm wide, glabrous; mucro 0.7–1.6 mm long.

Inflorescence with (4–) 6–10 flowers; rachis simple, (0.6–) 1.5–2.5 mm long, densely white-tomentose; flowers white; pedicels 2–3.8 mm long, sparsely to moderately densely white-tomentose. Perianth 1.5–2.2 mm long, glabrous except for sparse white hairs on limb. Pistil 4–4.5 mm long; gland minute, U-shaped.

Fruit woody, long remaining closed, broadly ovate-elliptic, 3.5–4.5 cm long, 2.5–3 (–3.8) cm wide, densely sharply to bluntly, very coarsely tuberculate, deep brown-black; beak smooth or sparsely tuberculate, short and broad, decurrent down red-brown wood zone side only; horns to 1–2 mm long, often worn. Seed ±central in valve, obliquely elliptic, 24–38 mm long, 11–15 mm wide; wing decurrent ¹/2–³/4 way down one side only, brown-black.

Distribution and ecology

Occurs from the Sydney region to the Blue Mtns, N.S.W., in Eucalyptus woodland, open forest, sclerophyllous scrub or shrubland in shallow sandy or loamy soil on sandstone.

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 May–July.

Derivation of name

From propinquus, Latin for near or neighbouring. The origin is obscure but it may have to do with the author's concept that the species was "nearly allied to H. nodosa, Brown. "

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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.

The Nodosa group consists of only 3 species, H. nodosa, H. propinqua and H. pachyphylla . Close to the Sericea group and sharing the simple needle leaves, few-flowered inflorescences, hairy pedicels and woody tuberculate fruits but differing in their very small flowers in which the pistil is only 3-4.5 mm long. H. nodosa does sometimes produce flattened, rather than terete, leaves and can also produce non-woody fruits as well as the distinctive woody fruits. All 3 species occur in the eastern states of Australia.

Notes

This species is often confused with H. pachyphylla which differs in its high Blue Mtns distribution, low bushy habit, spring flowering, yellow flowers and smaller fruit with more irregular and blunt warty outgrowths.

Representative specimens

N.S.W.: Artillery Hill, Royal Natl Park, J.Armstrong 895 (NSW); 11 km NNE of Leura on Mt Hay road, E.F.Constable 4979 (DNA, NSW); Darkes Forest, 14 Oct. 1977, R.Fitzharding s.n. (NSW); 2 km SSW of Glen Davis, R.Coveny 9454 & I.Telford (CANB, NSW).

Weblinks

Link to PlantNET treatment for NSW.

More photographs of this species can be seen on the Australian National Botanic Gardens site.

Further illustrations

I. Holliday, Hakeas. A Field and Garden Guide 166-7 (2005)

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