Common name: Pyramid Flower
Comesperma ericinum DC. APNI* Synonyms: Comesperma ericinum form A (Flora of NSW) APNI*
Comesperma ericinum form B (Flora of NSW) APNI*
Comesperma esulifolium (Gand.) Pedley APNI*
Comesperma ericinum f. esulifolium APNI*
Comesperma ericinum form C (Flora of NSW) APNI*
Comesperma hispidulum Pedley APNI*
Comesperma oblongatum (Benth.) Pedley APNI*
Comesperma patentifolium F.Muell. APNI*
Description: Shrub 1–1.5m high; often sparsely branched with clusters of erect branches in upper part; stems reddish, glaborous to bristly.
Leaves oblong to linear, 5–25 mm long, 1–4 mm wide. Racemes terminal, 2–4 cm long, often clustered near the top of the stems; pedicels 4–6 mm long.
Flowers 4–8 mm long, purple or lilac-pink or white. Outer sepals up to 2 mm long, half as long as wing sepals; wing sepals 4–8.5 mm long. Lateral petals equal to or longer than keel; keel pouched at sides.
Fruit ovoid to oblong-elliptic, 7–8 mm long
Flowering: Flowers throughout the year, mostly Oct–December
Distribution and occurrence: Grows chiefly in or on the edge of dry sclerophyll forest, usually on sandstone; Coast, Tableland and eastern parts of Western Slopes botanical regions.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, CWS, SWS
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. S.A.
This taxon is variable in leaf shape, and it is sometimes divided into several species or informal variants. However, many intermediates occur throughout the range of the species, so it is often difficult to assign specimens satisfactorily to a particular form. The hardcopy Flora of NSW vol 3 (1992) included three forms A, B (syn. C. esulifolium (Gandoger) Pedley) and C (syn. C. hispidulum Pedley) but these are not now being recognised.
Text by L Murray (1992); edited KL Wilson (Nov 2010)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW vol 3 (1992)
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.
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