Persoonia juniperina
Encyclopedia
Persoonia juniperina, commonly known as the prickly geebung , is a shrub native to New South Wales
in eastern Australia
. It was first collected in Tasmania, and described by French naturalist Jacques Labillardière
in 1805. Within the genus Persoonia
, P. juniperina is classified in the lanceolata group, a group of 54 closely related species with similar flowers but very different foliage. These species will often interbreed with each other where two members of the group occur. The species itself is variable across its range and separate subspecies have been recognised in the past, although the latest consensus is that the change is uniform enough not to warrant status for subspecies. It grows as a small spreading shrub 0.3 to 2 m (1-7 ft) high, and has smooth bark, hairy new branches and leaves. The narrow leaves measure 0.8 to 3.5 cm (0.3-1.6 in) long, and 1.5 mm wide and are linear in shape. The yellow flowers appear in summer and autumn (December to May). As with all persoonias, the flowers are followed by the appearance of small fleshy fruit. These may have been eaten by aborigines. A field study manipulating pollination showed P. juniperina was partly self-compatible but cross-pollination led to greater fruit production.
Persoonia juniperina is found across Tasmania and on mainland southeastern Australia, from Green Cape on the New South Wales far south coast through Victoria and into southeastern South Australia as far as Adelaide. The habitat is sclerophyll forest and heath to an altitude of 700 m (2500 ft). It appears to be vulnerable to disturbance.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was first collected in Tasmania, and described by French naturalist Jacques Labillardière
Jacques Labillardière
Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière was a French naturalist noted for his descriptions of the flora of Australia. Labillardière was a member of a voyage in search of the La Pérouse expedition...
in 1805. Within the genus Persoonia
Persoonia
Persoonia is a genus of 98 species of shrubs and small trees in the tribe Persoonioideae in the large and diverse plant family Proteaceae. In the eastern states of Australia, they are commonly known as Geebungs, while in Western Australia and South Australia they go by the common name Snottygobbles...
, P. juniperina is classified in the lanceolata group, a group of 54 closely related species with similar flowers but very different foliage. These species will often interbreed with each other where two members of the group occur. The species itself is variable across its range and separate subspecies have been recognised in the past, although the latest consensus is that the change is uniform enough not to warrant status for subspecies. It grows as a small spreading shrub 0.3 to 2 m (1-7 ft) high, and has smooth bark, hairy new branches and leaves. The narrow leaves measure 0.8 to 3.5 cm (0.3-1.6 in) long, and 1.5 mm wide and are linear in shape. The yellow flowers appear in summer and autumn (December to May). As with all persoonias, the flowers are followed by the appearance of small fleshy fruit. These may have been eaten by aborigines. A field study manipulating pollination showed P. juniperina was partly self-compatible but cross-pollination led to greater fruit production.
Persoonia juniperina is found across Tasmania and on mainland southeastern Australia, from Green Cape on the New South Wales far south coast through Victoria and into southeastern South Australia as far as Adelaide. The habitat is sclerophyll forest and heath to an altitude of 700 m (2500 ft). It appears to be vulnerable to disturbance.