Synonymy

Hakea cucullata R.Br., Suppl. Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl. 30 (1830)

T: Mount Gardner, near the entrance to King George Sound, [W.A.], 1823, W.Baxter; syn: BM p.p., K; possible syn: DBN (Baxter, undated).

Hakea cucullata Sweet, Hort. Brit. 491 (1826), nom. nud.

Hakea cucullata var. vulgaris Meisn., in J.G.C.Lehmann, Pl. Preiss. 1: 567 (1845), nom. inval. (includes type variety).

Hakea cucullata var. typica Domin, Vest. Král. Ceské Spolcn. Nauk. Tr. Mat. Prír. 2 (1923), nom. inval. (includes type variety).

Description

Erect sparingly branched shrub, 1–4 m tall, non-sprouting. Branchlets densely tomentose and sparsely hirsute with dark red-brown hairs at flowering. Leaves in lower parts broadly obovate, flat, in flowering region cordate to depressed circular, oblique, concave, ±overlapping, ascending and cupped about stem, 3.7–7.5 cm long, 38–90 mm wide, crenulate or denticulate, sometimes undulate, acuminate, rarely obtuse, pale green.

Inflorescence axillary or at leafless nodes, with 25–30 flowers; pedicels 5.5–8 mm long, glabrous. Perianth deep pink. Pistil 17–25 mm long; gland present.

Fruit 1–5 per axil, obliquely ovate, 2.2–2.8 cm long, 1.4–1.7 cm wide. Seed obliquely elliptic, 16–19 mm long; wing extending broadly down one side of body only, blackish brown throughout.

Distribution and ecology

Occurs in the Stirling Ra., south-western W.A., on the plains to the south of them and east to the Whoogarup Ra.; grows in mallee-heath in sandy sometimes gravelly lateritic soil.

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–Nov.

Derivation of name

From cucullatus, Latin for hooded, a reference to the shape of the leaves of this species.

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Relationships

Part of Sect. Conogynoides recognised by Bentham (1870) and characterised by a conical pollen presenter, veined leaves, glabrous perianth and fruits without horns.

Within this section 3 species were assigned to the informal Cucullata group by Barker et al. (1999). This group of Hakea species was combined morphologically because they all have mature leaves which are cupped about the stem in some way, long pistils and down-curved fruits.

Species are H. cucullata, H. conchifolia and H. smilacifolia , all from SW WA.

Notes

There appear to be two forms of H. cucullata, but as yet they cannot be reliably distinguished. Plants from the Stirling Ra. (e.g. Gardner 16199 and Barker 2439 cited above) have leaves with crenulate flat margins and shortly acuminate to obtuse apices. Plants from the remainder of the distribution (e.g. Short 2277) have larger leaves with denticulate undulate margins and long acuminate apices, together with longer fruit. Intermediate forms (e.g. Weston 6322) occur, and no correlated floral differences have been found.

One specimen (D.Gibbon s.n., AD) of a possible hybrid involving H. cucullata as one parent (the other parent obscure) has been seen.

Representative specimens

W.A.: Red Gum Pass, c. 4 km S of Salt River Rd, Stirling Range Natl Park, W.R.Barker 2439 (AD, COLO, NSW, PERTH); N side of Mondurup, Stirling Ra., C.Gardner 16199 (PERTH); 6 km SSW of Kalgan R. Crossing on Albany–Borden road, P.S.Short 2277 & L.Haegi (AD, MEL, PERTH); Whoogarup Ra., Fitzgerald River Natl Park, A.S.Weston 6322 (PERTH).

Weblinks

Link to FloraBase treatment of this species for WA.

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

An image of flowers, leaves and rusty-coloured young growth can be seen on the web at www.bkaussi.de/images/AustrWildblum/Hakea%20cucullata%201.jpg with close-ups of the buds and leaves at www.bkaussi.de/images/AustrWildblum/Hakea%20cucullata%202.jpg and the open flowers at www.bkaussi.de/images/AustrWildblum/Hakea%20cucullata%202.jpg

Further illustrations

A.S.George, Introd. Proteaceae W. Australia pl. 90 (1984);

J.W.Wrigley & M.Fagg, Banksias, Waratahs & Grevilleas 383 (1989)

I. Holliday, Hakeas. A Field and Garden Guide 54-55 (2005)

J.A..Young, Hakeas of Western Australia. A Field and Identification Guide 32 (2006).

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