Persoonia rigida
Encyclopedia
Persoonia rigida, commonly known as the rigid-, hairy- or stiff geebung, is a shrub native to New South Wales
and Victoria in eastern Australia
. First collected by George Caley
in 1804, it was one of the many Australian plants first described by Scottish botanist Robert Brown
, and still bears the binomial name he gave it in 1830. Within the genus Persoonia
, P. rigida 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. It grows as a small shrub to 1 m (4 ft) high, and has hairy new branches and leaves. The narrow leaves measure 1.5 to 4.5 cm (0.6-1.8 in) long, and 0.4–1.9 cm wide and are spathulate or obovate in shape, with margins turning downwards. Appearing in summer, the inflorescence
s are composed of single yellow flowers and have hairy perianths. The proportion of flowers going on to develop fruit appears to be unusually high in P. rigida compared with other members of the genus.
Persoonia rigida is found from the Liverpool Range in Central New South Wales southwards into Central Victoria, where it reaches the Grampians National Park
. It occurs on the inland (north and west) side of the Great Dividing Range, but extends eastwards to Springwood in the Lower Blue Mountains. The altitude ranges from 300 to 1300 m (1000-4000 ft). It grows in sandstone-based or rocky soils in dry sclreophyll forest or heathland. It has been known to hybridise with the prickly geebung (P. juniperina
), as well as P. sericea. Associated tree species in Victoria include Eucalyptus macrorhyncha
and Eucalyptus polyanthemos.
Persoonia rigida was cultivated in England in 1824 but is seldom seen in gardens now, and has little horticultural appeal.
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...
and Victoria 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...
. First collected by George Caley
George Caley
-Early life:Caley was born in Craven, Yorkshire, England, the son of a horse-dealer. He was educated at the Free Grammar School at Manchester for around four years and was then taken into his father's stables. Coming across a volume on farriery, he became interested in the herbs mentioned in...
in 1804, it was one of the many Australian plants first described by Scottish botanist Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
, and still bears the binomial name he gave it in 1830. 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. rigida 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. It grows as a small shrub to 1 m (4 ft) high, and has hairy new branches and leaves. The narrow leaves measure 1.5 to 4.5 cm (0.6-1.8 in) long, and 0.4–1.9 cm wide and are spathulate or obovate in shape, with margins turning downwards. Appearing in summer, the inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s are composed of single yellow flowers and have hairy perianths. The proportion of flowers going on to develop fruit appears to be unusually high in P. rigida compared with other members of the genus.
Persoonia rigida is found from the Liverpool Range in Central New South Wales southwards into Central Victoria, where it reaches the Grampians National Park
Grampians National Park
The Grampians National Park is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 235 kilometres west of Melbourne. The Park was listed on the Australian National Heritage List on 15 December 2006 for its outstanding natural beauty and being one of the richest indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern...
. It occurs on the inland (north and west) side of the Great Dividing Range, but extends eastwards to Springwood in the Lower Blue Mountains. The altitude ranges from 300 to 1300 m (1000-4000 ft). It grows in sandstone-based or rocky soils in dry sclreophyll forest or heathland. It has been known to hybridise with the prickly geebung (P. juniperina
Persoonia juniperina
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...
), as well as P. sericea. Associated tree species in Victoria include Eucalyptus macrorhyncha
Eucalyptus macrorhyncha
Eucalyptus macrorhyncha, commonly known as Red Gum, Red Stringybark, Cannons Stringybark or Capertee Stringybark, is a small to medium-sized tree with rough, thick fibrous and stringy, dark-brown bark....
and Eucalyptus polyanthemos.
Persoonia rigida was cultivated in England in 1824 but is seldom seen in gardens now, and has little horticultural appeal.