Cyphanthera albicans
{{Short description|Species of plant}}
{{use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{speciesbox
|name = Grey ray flower
|image = Cyphanthera albicans ssp tomentosa 01.jpg
|genus = Cyphanthera
|species = albicans
|authority = (A.Cunn.) Miers{{cite web |title=Cyphanthera albicans |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/99798 |publisher=Australian Plant Census |access-date=25 January 2024}}
}}
Cyphanthera albicans, commonly known as grey ray flower,{{cite web |last1=Conn |first1=Barry J. |title=Cyphanthera albicans |url=https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Cyphanthera~albicans |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney |access-date=25 January 2024}} is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an upright shrub with grey foliage and cream, white or pale yellow flowers.
Description
Cyphanthera albicans is an upright shrub to {{cvt|3|m}} high, greyish, branches covered densely in short, matted hairs or soft, short hairs. Older leaves are oval to elliptic or more or less egg-shaped, {{cvt|5-45|mm}} long, {{cvt|1.5-7|mm}} wide, lamina covered densely in short matted hairs, younger leaves up to {{cvt|13|cm}} long and {{cvt|4|cm}} wide. The corolla is cream or light yellow with purple markings, {{cvt|6-22|mm}} long, smooth or with soft hairs, lobes oval to squared to nearly linear and {{cvt|3-5|mm}} long. Flowering occurs from spring to early summer and the fruit a capsule {{cvt|2.5|mm}} long.{{cite web |title=Cyphanthera albicans |url=http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/efsa/lucid/Solanaceae/Solanaceae%20species/key/Australian%20Solanaceae%20species/Media/Html/Cyphanthera.htm |website=Electronic Flora of South Australia |publisher=Department for Environment & Water, South Australia |access-date=26 January 2024}}
Taxonomy and naming
This species was described in 1853 by Allan Cunningham who gave it the name Anthocercis albicans.{{cite web |title=Anthocercis albicans |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/rest/name/apni/94881/api/apni-format |publisher=Australian Plant Name Index |access-date=26 January 2024}} In 1853
John Miers transferred the species to Cyphanthera as C. albicans in The Annals and Magazine of Natural History.{{cite web |title=Cyphanthera albicans |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/rest/name/apni/99798/api/apni-format |publisher=Australian Plant Name Index |access-date=26 January 2024}}{{cite journal |last1=Miers |first1=John |title=Cyphanthera albicans |journal=The Annals and Magazine of Natural History |series=Series 2 |date=1853 |volume=11 |issue=65 |page=379 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/48966#page/425/mode/1up |access-date=26 January 2024}} The specific epithet (albicans) means "becoming white" or "whitish".{{cite book |last1=Sharr |first1=Francis Aubi |last2=George |first2=Alex |title=Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings |date=2019 |publisher=Four Gables Press |location=Kardinya, WA |isbn=9780958034180 |page=129 |edition=3rd}}
In 1981, Laurie Haegi described three subspecies of C. albicans in the journal Telopea and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:
- Cyphanthera albicans (A.Cunn.) Miers subsp. albicans{{cite web |title=Cyphanthera albicans subsp. albicans |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/99802 |publisher=Australian Plant Census |access-date=6 February 2024}} has white to creamy-white flowers {{cvt|6.5–13|mm}} long, leaves mostly {{cvt|6–15|mm}} long and hairs {{cvt|0.3–0.8|mm}} long on the branches.{{cite web |last1=Ohlsen |first1=Daniel |title=Cyphanthera albicans subsp. albicans |url=https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/4c56a0d5-d975-461a-b02b-de5b8bd04183 |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria |access-date=6 February 2024}}{{cite journal |last1=Haegi |first1=Laurence A.R. |title=A conspectus of Solanaceae tribe Anthocerideae |journal=Telopea |date=1981 |volume=2 |issue=2 |page=176 |doi=10.7751/telopea19814203 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/269234#page/34/mode/1up |access-date=6 February 2024}}
- Cyphanthera albicans subsp. notabilis Haegi{{cite web |title=Cyphanthera albicans subsp. notabilis |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/99809 |publisher=Australian Plant Census |access-date=6 February 2024}} has white to creamy-white flowers {{cvt|13–22|mm}} long, leaves mostly {{cvt|35|mm}} long and {{cvt|3–6|mm}} wide, and woolly hairs {{cvt|0.3–0.8|mm}} long on the branches.{{cite web |last1=Conn |first1=Barry J. |title=Cyphanthera albicans subsp. notabilis |url=https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=in&name=Cyphanthera~albicans+subsp.~notabilis |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney |access-date=6 February 2024}}
- Cyphanthera albicans subsp. tomentosa (Benth.) Haegi (previously known as Anthocercis albicans var. tomentosa){{cite web |title=Cyphanthera albicans subsp. tomentosa |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/99821 |publisher=Australian Plant Census |access-date=6 February 2024}} has yellow or pale yellow flowers {{cvt|8–19|mm}} long, leaves mostly {{cvt|5–17|mm}} long and hairs less than {{cvt|0.3|mm}} long on the branches.{{cite web |last1=Conn |first1=Barry J. |title=Cyphanthera albicans subsp. tomentosa |url=https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=in&name=Cyphanthera~albicans+subsp.~tomentosa |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney |access-date=6 February 2024}}
Distribution and habitat
Cyphanthera albicans subsp. albicans grows in forest or shrubland in New South Wales from near Rylstone to the Shoalhaven River and also occurs in Queensland and the far north-east of Victoria. Subspecies notabilis is restricted to the Warrumbungles and subsp. tomentosa to western New South Wales.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q1148146|from2=Q100451049|from3=Q66103560|from4=Q55841477}}
Category:Taxa named by Allan Cunningham (botanist)
Category:Plants described in 1825