Hakea salicifolia commonly known as the willow-leaved hakea,[2] is species of flowering plant that is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an adaptable, fast growing small tree or shrub with attractive foliage and cream white flowers.

Willow-leaved hakea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Hakea
Species:
H. salicifolia
Binomial name
Hakea salicifolia
Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium
Synonyms[1]
  • Conchium salicifolium C.F.Gaertn.
  • Embothrium salicifolium Vent.
  • Hakea salicifolia Meisn. nom. inval., pro syn.
New growth

Description

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Hakea salicifolia is a fast-growing upright shrub or small tree to 3–5 m (10–20 ft) tall. Smaller branches are smooth with obvious dark red longitudinal ribbing. Young shoots have sparse silky hairs or may be totally hairless. Leaves are narrowly oval shaped, widest in the middle up to 12 cm long and 5–20 mm (0.2–0.8 in) wide tapering to a point or occasionally rounded at the apex. The pale green leaves are smooth, occasionally bluish-green with a powdery film. Young leaves are darker with sparse flattened silky white and rusty coloured hairs quickly becoming smooth. The inflorescence consists of a single umbel of 16–28 white to pale yellow flowers on a short stalk 1–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) long. The young flower bracts are 3 mm (0.1 in) long and slightly hairy externally. The pedicel is 4.5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. The perianth smooth, bluish-green with a powdery film and 2.3–3.5 mm (0.09–0.1 in) long. The style 6–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. Egg-shaped fruit are 2.3–3.5 cm (0.9–1 in) long and 1.3–3 cm (0.5–1 in) wide narrowing gradually to a slightly upturned beak with small horns. The fruit surface is covered with black blister-like warts 1–5 mm (0.04–0.2 in) high.[3][4][5]

 
Fruit

Taxonomy and naming

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Willow-leaved hakea was first formally described in 1800 by French botanist Étienne Pierre Ventenat who gave it the name Embrothium salicifolium and published the description in Description des Plantes Nouvelles et peu connues, cultivees dans le Jardin de J.M. Cels. The type specimen was grown in the garden of Jacques Philippe Martin Cels from material collected from Botany Bay in 1792.[6][7] In 1941 English botanist Brian Burtt changed the name to Hakea salicifolia and published the description in Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information.[8] The specific epithet (salicifolia) is derived from the Latin words salix[9]: 174  meaning "willow" and folium meaning "leaf"[9]: 46  referring to the willow-like leaves.[10]

Two subspecies are currently recognised by the Australian Plant Census:

Hakea saligna var. angustifolia was first formally described in 1920 by Arthur Andrew Hamilton in Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales[13][14] before being renamed Hakea salicifolia subsp. angustifolia in 1999 by William Robert Barker.[15]

Distribution and habitat

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Hakea salicifolia is a widespread species growing mainly from Kempsey to the Shoalhaven River, Dorrigo, Whian Whian and the Blue Mountains. Also found near the Queensland and New South Wales border. Grows in wet sclerophyll forest often near rainforest.[5][16]

Ecology

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Willow-leaved Hakea is an invasive plant species in New Zealand and is listed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation as one of about 300 environmental weeds. It is also invasive in Portugal.[17]: 123  An attractive ornamental tree adaptable to most soils and aspects from sub-tropical to temperate zones creating issues with over abundance of the species in some localities. Planted on tea plantations in Tanzania as a wind-break and boundary hedge.[4][18][19]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Hakea salicifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Hakea salicifolia". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  3. ^ Holliday, Ivan. "Hakeas a Field and Garden Guide". Reed New Holland. ISBN 1-877069-14-0.
  4. ^ a b Wriggley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (1996). "Australian Native Plants-Propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping". Reed New Holland. ISBN 1-876334-30-4.
  5. ^ a b c Barker, Robyn M.; Haegi, Laurence A.; Barker, William R. (1999). Wilson, Annette (ed.). "Flora of Australia" Vol.17B Proteaceae 3 Hakea to Dryandra. ABRS. ISBN 0-643-06454-0.
  6. ^ "Embothrium salicifolium". APNI. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  7. ^ Ventenat, Etienne Pierre (1800). Description des plantes nouvelles et peu connues : cultivées dans le jardin de J.M. Cels : avec figures. Paris. p. t8. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  8. ^ "Hakea salicifolia". APNI. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  9. ^ a b Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  10. ^ "Hakea salicifolia". Flora of South Australian:Online. South Australian Government. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  11. ^ "Hakea salicifolia subsp. salicifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Hakea salicifolia subsp. angustifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Hakea saligna var. angustifolia". APNI. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  14. ^ Hamilton, Arthur Andrew (1920). "Notes from the Botanic Gardens, Sydney". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 45 (2): 261–262. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.19545. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Hakea salicifolia var. angustifolia". APNI. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  16. ^ "Hakea salicifolia". PlantNET:NSW Flora Online. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  17. ^ Domingues de Almeida, João; Freitas, Helena (2006). "Exotic naturalized flora of continental Portugal – A reassessment". Botanica Complutensis. 30. 30: 117–130. ISSN 0214-4565. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  18. ^ Howell, Clayson (May 2008). Consolidated list of environmental weeds in New Zealand (PDF). DRDS292. Wellington: Department of Conservation. ISBN 978-0-478-14413-0. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  19. ^ "Hakea salicifolia". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
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