Persoonia acerosa
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Needle geebung
|image = Persoonia acerosa.jpg
|image_caption = Persoonia acerosa in the ANBG
|genus = Persoonia
|species = acerosa
|status_system = EPBC
|status = EN
|status_ref = {{SPRAT|7232|Persoonia acerosa}}
|authority = Sieber ex Schult. & Schult.f.{{cite web|title=Persoonia acerosa|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/111571|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date=20 September 2020}}
|range_map = PersooniaacerosaDistMap1.png
|range_map_caption = Occurrence data downloaded from AVH
}}
File:Persoonia acerosa habit.jpg
Persoonia acerosa, commonly known as needle geebung,{{cite web |title=Needle Geebung – profile |url=https://threatenedspecies.bionet.nsw.gov.au/profile?id=10591 |access-date=15 February 2025 |website=NSW Office of Environment and Heritage}} is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of New South Wales. It is a shrub with small, channelled, needle-like leaves, yellow tubular flowers and yellowish-green, pear-shaped fruit.
Description
Persoonia acerosa is an erect to spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of {{cvt|0.5–2|m}} and has smooth bark. The leaves are linear, {{cvt|10–23|mm}} long and {{cvt|0.5|mm}} wide and channelled on the upper surface. The flowers are arranged between the leaves on a branchlet that continues to grow after flowering, each flower on a pedicel {{cvt|1–2|mm}} long. The flowers are tube-shaped, {{cvt|8–10|mm}} long, glabrous, and mostly appear in summer. The fruit is a pear-shaped, yellowish-green drupe up to {{cvt|14|mm}} long.{{cite web |last1=Weston |first1=Peter H. |title=Persoonia acerosa |url=https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Persoonia~acerosa |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden Sydney |access-date=20 September 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Weston |first1=Peter H. |title=Persoonia acerosa |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Persoonia%20acerosa |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra |access-date=20 September 2020}}
Taxonomy
Persoonia acerosa was first formally described in 1827 by Josef August and Julius Hermann Schultes in their book Mantissa in volumen primum [-tertium] :Systematis vegetabilium caroli a Linné from an unpublished description by Franz Sieber.{{cite web|title=Persoonia acerosa|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/544179|publisher=APNI|access-date=20 September 2020}}{{cite book |last1=Schultes |first1=Josef August |last2=Schultes |first2=Julius Hermann |title=Mantissa in volumen primum [-tertium] :Systematis vegetabilium caroli a Linné |date=1827 |publisher=Sumtibus J.G. Cottae |location=Stuttgart |page=269 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/10317#page/272/mode/1up |access-date=20 September 2020}}
Distribution and habitat
Needle geebung grows in heath, scrubby woodland and forest on sandstone on the Central Coast and from the central Blue Mountains to the Hill Top district in New South Wales at altitudes of {{cvt|550–1000|m}}. It is mainly found in the upper Blue Mountains and is believed to be extinct at Hill Top.
Conservation status
This geebung is listed as "endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and "vulnerable" under the New South Wales Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. The main threats to the species are land clearing, burning for hazard reduction, weed invasion and disturbance by vehicles and rubbish dumping.
References
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Category:Flora of New South Wales
Category:Plants described in 1827