Synonymy
Hakea petiolaris Meisn. subsp. trichophylla Haegi, Fl. Australia 17B: 395 (1999)
T: Dingo Rock Reserve, 7 miles [11.2 km] W of Manmanning, W.A., 12 June 1985, B.H.Smith 582; holo: AD; iso: CANB, HO, NSW, PERTH.
Description
Non-sprouting large shrub or small tree 3–9 m tall. Branchlets densely appressed-sericeous or glabrescent by flowering.
Leaves spathulate, 8–11.2 cm long (including petiole 1–1.6 cm long), 3.2–6 cm wide, narrowly cuneate to attenuate at base, abruptly acuminate, pale grey-green, surfaces evenly appressed-pubescent at flowering time; longitudinal veins usually (1–) 3 (–4); reticulate veins prominent above and below.
Inflorescence axillary or at leafless node, sometimes resprouting in subsequent years, with 120–200 flowers; pedicels 8–9.5 mm long, glabrous. Perianth cream turning mauve to maroon. Pistil 14–18 mm long, cream-white; gland a V-shaped flap, 0.5–0.6 mm high.
Fruit elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 2.2–2.5 cm long, 1.2–1.6 cm wide, curved at base, obscurely or not beaked, not flanged. Seed obliquely ovate, 14–22 mm long; wing extending broadly down both sides of body (narrower on one side), sometimes narrowly around base also, blackish brown to black.
Distribution and ecology
Occurs in the Wongan Hills, W.A., with outliers to the east of Kununoppin and to the south at Tuttanning Reserve; grows in shrubland associated with granite outcrops.
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 Apr.–June.
Derivation of name
From trichos, Greek for hair and phyllon, Greek for leaf, a reference to the persistent hairs on the leaves such that they have a grey sheen at flowering time.
How the infraspecific taxa differ
Subspecies trichophylla differs from ssp. angusta by its spathulate rather than elliptic leaves and by its abruptly acuminate rather than gradually acuminate leaf apex.
Ssp. trichophylla differs from ssp. petiolaris by its usually longer leaves ( 8-11.2 cm compared with 5.5-8.6 cm long) and shorter fruits (2.2-2.5 cm compared with 3.1-3.6 cm) and by the longer persistence of the appressed leaf indumentum in ssp. trichophylla.
Ssp. trichophylla is killed by fire whereas ssp. petiolaris resprouts after fire
Relationships
Part of Sect. Conogynoides recognised by Bentham (1870) and characterised by a conical pollen presenter, veined leaves, glabrous perianth and fruits without horns.
Species are H. laurina, H. obtusa and H. petiolaris, all from SW WA. The monophyly or otherwise of the group has still to be tested.
Notes
Hakea petiolaris is moderately common in cultivation; most specimens of cultivated plants are subsp. trichophylla.
Representative specimens
W.A.: Kununoppin, 1961, W.H.Butler (PERTH); Tuttanning Reserve, SE of Pingelly, A.S.George 7750 (CANB, PERTH); 7 km S of Wongan Hills township, M.E.Trudgen 1660 (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.
Further illustrations
J.A..Young, Hakeas of Western Australia. A Field and Identification Guide 90 (2006)