Anigozanthos preissii
Encyclopedia
Anigozanthos preissii, the Albany Cat's paw, is a herbaceous plant species
in the family Haemodoraceae
, endemic to Western Australia
.
The species is an upright perennial herb, with long leaves that emerge from a rhizome beneath the soil. A tall stalk emerges from the centre of these to present large red, orange and yellow flowers. The flowering period is sometime between October to November, when attains a height up to 0.8 metres. The leaves grey-green and arranged in a rosette at ground level.
It occurs in a range to the north and east of Albany
, especially in the Warren
region, along the southern coast of Southwest Australia
.
Anigozanthos preissii was first described by Stephan Endlicher, as Anigosanthus, but given the current name in 1848 by Lehmann
in Plantae Preissianae. The epithet is named for the botanist Ludwig Preiss
.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
in the family Haemodoraceae
Haemodoraceae
Haemodoraceae is a family of flowering plants. It is sometimes known as the "Bloodwort family". Primarily a Southern Hemisphere family, they are found in South Africa, Australia and New Guinea, and in the Americas Haemodoraceae is a family of flowering plants. It is sometimes known as the...
, endemic to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
The species is an upright perennial herb, with long leaves that emerge from a rhizome beneath the soil. A tall stalk emerges from the centre of these to present large red, orange and yellow flowers. The flowering period is sometime between October to November, when attains a height up to 0.8 metres. The leaves grey-green and arranged in a rosette at ground level.
It occurs in a range to the north and east of Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
, especially in the Warren
Warren (biogeographic region)
Warren, also known as Karri Forest Region and the Jarrah-Karri forest and shrublands ecoregion, is a biogeographic region in southern Western Australia. Located in the southwest corner of Western Australia between Cape Naturaliste and Albany, it is bordered to the north and east by the Jarrah...
region, along the southern coast of Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot that includes the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregions of Western Australia. The region has a wet-winter, dry-summer Mediterranean climate, one of five such regions in the world...
.
Anigozanthos preissii was first described by Stephan Endlicher, as Anigosanthus, but given the current name in 1848 by Lehmann
Lehmann
Lehmann is a common Germanic surname derived from the German word Lehen, meaning fiefdom. Some Jewish Lehmann families state that the origin of their name is from the German words for "Lion Man"...
in Plantae Preissianae. The epithet is named for the botanist Ludwig Preiss
Ludwig Preiss
Johann August Ludwig Preiss was a German-born British botanist and zoologist.Preiss was born in Herzberg am Harz, Germany. He obtained a doctorate, probably at Hamburg, then emigrated to Western Australia...
.