Lechenaultia heteromera

Species of flowering plant

Claw leschenaultia

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Clade:  | Tracheophytes
Clade:  | Angiosperms
Clade:  | Eudicots
Clade:  | Asterids
Order:  | Asterales
Family:  | Goodeniaceae
Genus:  | Lechenaultia
Species:  |

L. heteromera

Binomial name
Lechenaultia heteromera

Benth.[1]

Lechenaultia heteromera, commonly known as claw leschenaultia,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a subshrub with a few wand-like branches, fleshy leaves, and white and pale blue flowers.

## Description

[edit]

Lechenaultia heteromera is an ascending subshrub that typically grows to a height of 80 cm (31 in) and has a few wand-like branches. Its leaves are fleshy, often down-curved, and 4.5–6.5 mm (0.18–0.26 in) long. The flowers are arranged in groups near the ends of branchlets, and have sepals 6.5–9.0 mm (0.26–0.35 in) long. The petals are 14–19 mm (0.55–0.75 in) long with a few long, with soft hairs inside the white petal tube. The wings on the lower lobes are triangular, 2.0–2.2 mm (0.079–0.087 in) wide, and on the upper lobes up to 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) wide, the wings and lobes pale blue. Flowers occurs from August to December and the fruit is 20–28 mm (0.79–1.10 in) long.[2][3]

## Taxonomy

[edit]

Lechenaultia heteromera was first formally described in 1868 by George Bentham in Flora Australiensis from specimens collected from East Mount Barren by George Maxwell.[4][5] The specific epithet (heteromera) means "unequal parts", referring to the petal lobes.[6]

## Distribution and habitat

[edit]

Claw leschenaultia grows in heath, scrub and woodland on the south coast of south-western Western Australia between Starvation Boat Harbour and West Mount Barren in the Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions of south-western Western Australia.[2][3]

## Conservation status

[edit]

This leschenaultia is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Lechenaultia heteromera". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
2. ^ a b c d "Lechenaultia heteromera". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
3. ^ a b Morrison, Donald A. "Lechenaultia heteromera". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
4. ^ "Lechenaultia heteromera". APNI. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
5. ^ Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1868). Flora Australiensis. Vol. 4\. London: Lovell Reeve & Co. p. 43. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
6. ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 217\. ISBN 9780958034180.

Taxon identifiers

Lechenaultia heteromera|

* Wikidata: Q17480199
* APNI: 95302
* CoL: 3STJR
* FloraBase: 7576
* FoAO2: Lechenaultia heteromera
* GBIF: 3761295
* iNaturalist: 855596
* IPNI: 127556-3
* NCBI: 49603
* Open Tree of Life: 649896
* Plant List: tro-50045300
* POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:127556-3
* Tropicos: 50045300
* WFO: wfo-0001225666