Common name: Merimbula Star-hair
Astrotricha sp. Wallagaraugh (R.O.Makinson 1228) APNI* Synonyms: Astrotricha sp. 5 sensu Fl. Victoria 4:252 (1999) APNI*
Description: An inconspicuous small single- or multistemmed shrub up to 1 m (rarely to 1.8 m) tall, stems more or less erect; branchlets, leaf undersurfaces, and inflorescence axes covered with small stellate hairs.
Leaves spreading, linear or sometimes broadening a little near the rounded tip, 20–40 mm long (to 60 mm in juveniles) and 1.5–2 mm wide; leaf upper surface convex with conspicuous short wrinkles, these often each capped with a small asperity, leaf margin recurved; leaf lower surface densely packed with stellate hairs.
Inflorescence a loose compound panicle 30–100 (rarely 200) mm long, made up of pedunculate (stalked) umbels; petals 5, pale green, those of the terminal umbel slightly darker; stamens 5, soon falling.
Fruit a laterally compressed obovoid schizocarp 3–3.5 mm long, c. 3 mm wide.
Flowering: Oct–December
Distribution and occurrence: This species is endangered and currently known from only two localities about 50 km apart. One population is along the upper reaches of the Wallagaraugh River about 30 km south- east of Eden (in Yambulla and Timbillica State Forests). The other population is about 50 km to the north-east, a few kilometres north of Merimbula over a three kilometre stretch beside the Tathra road, lying partly along one edge of Bournda National Park. The southern (Yambulla/Timbillica) population occurs on shallow gravelly granitic soils in fairly dry open forests dominated by rough-barked eucalypts including Eucalyptus consideniana and E. croajingalongensis, with a rich shrub layer including some or all of Leptospermum spp., Kunzea ambigua, Dodonaea viscosa, Grevillea parvula, Daviesia sp., Banksia sp., Hakea sp., Pomaderris sp., and Acacia terminalis. The northern (Bournda) population occurs on deep grey-white sands in rough-barked eucalypt forest (Eucalyptus sieberi and E. globoidea dominant) with Banksia serrata, Acacia longifolia and Grevillea mucronulata.
NSW subdivisions: SC
Other Australian states: Vic.
Threatened species: NSW BCA: Endangered
Text by R.O Makinson
Taxon concept: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/AstrotrichaSpWallagaraughEndSpListing.htm
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
|
