Hakea preissii

Hakea preissii is a shrub or tree which typically grows to a height of 2 to 4 metres (6.6 to 13.1 ft). It has branchlets that are moderately to densely appressed-pubescent on new growth, quickly glabrescent, and glaucous in their second year. The rigid, simple leaves are rarely divided apically into 2 or 3 segments, 1 to 6 centimetres (0.4 to 2.4 in) in length and 1.5 to 2.5 millimetres (0.06 to 0.10 in) in width. Inflorescence are axillary with 4–28 yellow-green flowers with persistent pedicels 3.5 to 7 millimetres (0.14 to 0.28 in) long. Smooth grey to black fruit that are obliquely ovate or elliptic, dilated apically and approximately 2 centimetres (0.8 in) long and 1 centimetre (0.4 in) wide. It blooms from August to December.[4]

Hakea preissii was first formally described by the botanist Carl Meissner in 1845 from a specimen collected in a forest near York. The description was published in Johann Georg Christian Lehmann's work Plantae Preissianae.[5][6][7] The specific epithet (preissii) honours Ludwig Preiss who collected plant specimens in Western Australia between 1838 and 1842.[4]

Needle tree is endemic to an area in the Pilbara, Wheatbelt, Mid West and Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia. It has a scattered distribution and is found as far north as Tom Price and south as Gnowangerup. It is found along the west coast and a little farther east than Kalgoorlie. The plant is found on plains and around the margins of salt marshes growing in sand, loam and sandy-clay soils.[1] It sometimes invades semi-arid pastoral land in Western Australia.[8]

This species is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[1]

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  Hakea preissii fruit
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  Hakea preissii habit