Petrophile canescens
{{short description|Species of shrub of the family Proteaceae found in eastern Australia}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Conesticks
|image_caption = Petrophile canescens in the ANBG
|image = Petrophile canescens.jpg
|genus = Petrophile
|species = canescens
|authority = A.Cunn. ex R.Br.{{cite web|title=Petrophile canescens|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/59457|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date=3 December 2020}}
|synonyms =
- Petrophila canescens R.Br. orth. var.
- Petrophila pulchella var. canescens Domin orth. var.
- Petrophile pulchella var. canescens (A.Cunn. ex R.Br.) Domin
}}
Petrophile canescens, commonly known as conesticks,{{cite web |last1=Harden |first1=Gwen J. |title=Petrophile canescens |url=https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Petrophile~canescens |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden Sydney |access-date=3 December 2020}} is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with pinnately-divided leaves and oval heads of hairy, white to pale cream-coloured flowers.
Description
Petrophile canescens is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of {{cvt|0.5–3|m}} and has branchlets and leaves that have silky grey hairs when young. The leaves are cylindrical, {{cvt|30–110|mm}} long on a petiole {{cvt|20–50|mm}} long and pinnately divided, the undivided part longer than the divided part. The flowers are arranged in sessile, oval heads {{cvt|10–25|mm}} long, sometimes in groups of up to four with hairy, triangular involucral bracts at the base. The flowers are {{cvt|9–12|mm}} long, white to pale cream-coloured and silky-hairy. Flowering occurs from September to January and the fruit is a nut, fused with others in an oval to spherical head {{cvt|15–40|mm}} long.{{cite web |last1=Foreman |first1=David B. |title=Petrophile canescens |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Petrophile%20canescens |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra |access-date=4 December 2020}}
This petrophile can be distinguished from the related Petrophile pulchella by its finely hairy new growth.{{cite web|url=http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=gn&name=Petrophile|title= New South Wales Flora Online: Genus Petrophile|last=Harden|first=Gwen J.|publisher= Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust|access-date=30 November 2011|location=Sydney, Australia}}
Taxonomy
Petrophile canescens was first formally described in 1830 by Robert Brown from an unpublished description by Allan Cunningham. Brown's description was published in the Supplementum to his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.{{cite web|title=Persoonia canescens|url=https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/463859|publisher=APNI|access-date=4 December 2020}}{{cite book|last1=Brown|first1=Robert|title=Supplementum primum prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae|date=1830|publisher=H.R. Engelmann, Wheldon & Wesley|location=New York|page=6|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/77294#page/520/mode/1up|access-date=4 December 2020}} The specific epithet (canescens) means "becoming or being somewhat white or hoary".{{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=157 |edition=3rd}}
Distribution and habitat
Conesticks grows in forest and sandy heath on the Blackdown Tableland in Queensland and south to Nerriga and as far west as Warialda in New South Wales.
References
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{{Taxonbar|from=Q7179051}}
Category:Flora of New South Wales