Bertya oleifolia
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Bertya oleifolia.jpg
| image_caption = In Carnarvon National Park
| genus = Bertya
| species = oleifolia
| authority = Planch.{{cite web |title=Bertya oleifolia |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/114865 |publisher=Australian Plant Census |access-date=3 April 2025}}
|synonyms = {{Collapsible list|
- Bertya mitchelli Müll.Arg. orth. var.
- Bertya mitchellii (Sond.) Müll.Arg.
- Bertya mitchellii var. genuina Grüning
- Bertya mitchellii (Sond.) Müll.Arg. var. mitchellii
- Bertya oleaefolia Planch. orth. var.
- Bertya oleifolia Planch. var. oleifolia
- Bertya polymorpha Baill. nom. illeg.
- Bertya polymorpha var. genuina Baill. nom. inval.
- Bertya polymorpha Baill. var. polymorpha nom. illeg.
- Ricinocarpos mitchellii Sond.
- Ricinocarpus mitchelli Sond. orth. var.
| range_map = Bertya oleifolia DistMap16.png
| range_map_caption = Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium
}}
}}
File:Bertya oleifolia female.jpg
Bertya oleifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with linear to lance-shaped or narrowly elliptic leaves, separate male and female flowers, and elliptic capsules densely covered with star-shaped hairs.
Description
Bertya oleifolia is a shrub that typically grows to a height of up to {{cvt|2.5|m}}, its young branchlets densely covered with white, star-shaped hairs. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, or narrowly elliptic, {{cvt|25–54|mm}} long and {{cvt|2–8|mm}} wide with the edges curved dow or rolled under. Separate male and female flowers are borne on a peduncle up to {{cvt|1.5|mm}} long, the male flowers 45 to 75 stamens. Female flowers are sessile, with narrowly egg-shaped sepals {{cvt|3.3–4.5|mm}} long and a densely hairy ovary. Flowering occurs from May to November, and the fruit is elliptic, {{cvt|6.9–8.5|mm}} long with a single seed.{{cite web |last1=Halford |first1=David A. |editor-last1=Moon |editor-first1=Christina D. |editor-last2=Orchard |editor-first2=Anthony E. |title=Bertya oleifolia |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Bertya%20oleifolia |publisher=Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. |access-date=3 April 2025}}{{cite web |last1=James |first1=Teresa A. |last2=Harden |first2=Gwen J. |title=Bertya oleifoliax |url=https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Bertya~oleifolia |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney |access-date=3 April 2025}}
Taxonomy
Bertya oleifolia was first formally described in 1845 by Jules Émile Planchon in Hooker's London Journal of Botany from specimens collected by Allan Cunningham.{{cite journal |last1=Planchon |first1=Jules E. |editor-last1=Hooker |editor-first1=William J. |title=Description de deux genres nouveaux de la famille des Euphorbiacees. |journal=London Journal of Botany |date=1845 |volume=4 |page=473 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/6315#page/477/mode/1up |access-date=3 April 2025}}{{cite web |title=Bertya oleifolia |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/rest/instance/apni/549043 |publisher=Australian Plant Name Index |access-date=3 April 2025}} The specific epithet (oleifolia) means 'olive-tree leaved'.{{cite book |last1=George |first1=Alex |last2=Sharr |first2=Francis |title=Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings |date=2021 |publisher=Four Gables Press |location=Kardinya, WA |isbn=9780958034180 |page=265 |edition=3rd}}
Distribution and habitat
This species of Bertya grows on sandstone in shrubland, woodland and open forest, often in rocky places, between Jericho in Queensland and Ashford, in northern New South Wales, and between Rylstone and Nowra further south.
Conservation status
Bertya oleifolia is listed as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.{{cite web |title=Species profile—Bertya oleifolia |url=https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/details/?id=9663 |publisher=Queensland Government Department of Education and Science |access-date=3 April 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q15386046}}
Category:Flora of New South Wales