Synonymy

Hakea psilorrhyncha R.M.Barker, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 13: 98 (1990)

T: c. 25 km NW of Badgingarra, Western Australia, 1 Nov. 1965, P.G.Wilson 3878; holo: PERTH; iso: AD.

[Hakea obliqua auct. non R.Br.: A.S.George, Introd. Proteaceae W. Australia 68, pl. 96, 97 (1984)]

Description

Erect shrub, 1–4 m tall, non-lignotuberous. Branchlets and young leaves ferruginous. Leaves 2–9.6 cm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, grooved or not basally on lower side; mucro erect.

Inflorescence with 6 or 8 flowers; involucre 5–5.5 mm long; pedicels 6–8 mm long, densely appressed-sericeous; hairs cream-white or golden, extending onto perianth. Perianth 6.5–9 mm long. Pistil 10–11 mm long; disc of pollen presenter 1.5–1.8 mm long; gland 1.6–1.7 mm long.

Fruit erect, obliquely ovate, 3.5–5 cm long, 1.5–2.3 cm wide, with stout corky projections; beak smooth; apiculum 5–10 mm long. Seed 24–28 mm long, occupying part of valve; wing encircling seed body.

Distribution and ecology

Occurs in sand or clay in mallee or open heath between Geraldton and Perth, Western Australia.

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 Sept.–Oct.

Derivation of name

From psilo-, Greek for smooth and rhynch-, Greek for beak, a reference to the smooth beak of the fruit of this species.

There are four species epithets ending in -rhyncha within Hakea and all are spelt -rrhyncha which is correct Greek usage and the correct spelling for these species. However from Linnaeus on, not all authors have added the additional r when forming such epithets and species epithets will be found in which there is only a single r. Since the original spelling is considered the correct one by the international rules governing botanical nomenclature, both spellings will be found in the literature.

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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 Obliqua group by Barker et al. (1999). The group is close to the Ceratophylla group, sharing the morphological characteristics of few-flowered inflorescences with pubescent flowers on an obscure rachis, oblique pollen presenters and distinctly woody fruits without horns and usually without beaks and seed in which the wing encircles the seed body; the groups differ in the terete leaves of this group compared with the flat leaves of the Ceratophylla group.

Members of the group are H. adnata, H. brachyptera, H. obliqua, H. polyanthema and H. psilorrhyncha, all from southern WA.

Notes

Previously treated as H. obliqua, H. psilorrhyncha differs in its more northerly distribution, its more slender open habit, longer pedicel, perianth, pistil and anthers and its distinctive pollen presenter (see image above). It may also differ in its red styles as opposed to cream or green styles of H. obliqua but further observations are needed.

Representative specimens

Western Australia: 10 km S of Moore R., P.Armstrong 80 (PERTH); 7 km S of Eneabba, E.A.Griffin 958 (PERTH); 15 km N of Cataby Ck, R.J.Hnatiuk 760080 (PERTH); 27 km by road SW of Three Springs on Eneabba road, P.S.Short 2411 & L.Haegi (AD, PERTH); c. 25 km NW of Badgingarra, P.G.Wilson 3878 (PERTH).

Weblinks

Link to FloraBase treatment of this species for WA.

Further illustrations

I. Holliday, Hakeas. A Field and Garden Guide 170-1 (2005)

J.A..Young, Hakeas of Western Australia. A Field and Identification Guide 96 (2006)

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