Marianthus granulatus

Marianthus granulatus is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to a restricted part of the southwest of Western Australia. It is a twining shrub or climber with often clustered, egg-shaped to heart-shaped leaves and pale blue flowers with darker blue spots and yellow streaks, arranged in groups of three to five.

Marianthus granulatus

Priority Four — Rare Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Pittosporaceae
Genus: Marianthus
Species:
M. granulatus
Binomial name
Marianthus granulatus
Synonyms[1]
  • Billardiera granulata (Turcz.) E.M.Benn.
  • Marianthus parviflorus F.Muell.
  • Oncosporum granulatum Turcz.

Description

Marianthus granulatus is a twining shrub or climber with silky-hairy, warty new shoots. Its adult leaves are egg-shaped to heart-shaped and often clustered, 20–45 mm (0.79–1.77 in) long and 8–18 mm (0.31–0.71 in) wide on a petiole up to 3 mm (0.12 in) long. The flowers are borne in groups of three to five on hairy peduncle 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in) long with bracts up to 4 mm (0.16 in) long. The sepals are linear, blue and silky-hairy, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long. The five petals are pale blue with darkening blue markings, 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long with yellow streaks. Flowering mainly occurs from October to December and the fruit is a blue, egg-shaped capsule about 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter.[2][3]

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1855 by Nikolai Turczaninow who gave it the name Oncosporum granulatum in the Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou from specimens collected by James Drummond.[4][5] In 1863, George Bentham transferred the species to Marianthus as M. granulatus in his Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.[6] The specific epithet (granulatus) means "granular", referring to the seeds.[7]

Distribution and habitat

Marianthus granulatus is restricted to the Porongorup Ranges in southern Western Australia, where it grows in woodland and forest in creek beds.[3][2]

Conservation status

This marianthus is listed as "Priority Four" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions,[2] meaning that it is rare or near threatened.[8]

References
  1. "Marianthus granulatus". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  2. "Marianthus granulatus". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. "Marianthus granulatus". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  4. "Oncosporum granulatum". APNI. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  5. Turczaninow, Nikolai (1855). "Animadversiones". Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou. 27 (4): 366. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  6. "Marianthus granulatus". APNI. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  7. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 210. ISBN 9780958034180.
  8. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
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