Stirlingia latifolia
Encyclopedia
Stirlingia latifolia, commonly known as Blueboy, is a plant endemic to Western Australia
.
from 20 centimetres to 1.5 metres high, consisting of numerous stems up to 70 centimetres long, emerging from an underground lignotuber
. Leaves are leathery, up to 10 centimetres long, and bifurcate into lobes up to three times. They extend well up the stems. Flowers occur in a panicle
atop a scape
up to 1.5 metres high.
in 1830 under the name Simsia latifolia. It was later discovered that the generic name Simsia
, published by Brown in 1810, was illegitimate, as it had already been published in 1807 for a genus of Asteraceae
. A new generic name, Stirlingia
, was published in 1838, but the transfer of the species published under Simsia was overlooked at first. Simsia latifolia would not be transferred into Stirlingia until 1841, when Ernst Steudel published Stirlingia latifolia (R.Br.) Steud. Meanwhile, John Lindley
had published Stirlingia paniculata in his 1839 A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony
; this would later be shown to be a synonym of S. latifolia. An attempt was later made to reinstate the name Simsia; resulting in its use by Carl Ostenfeld in 1921 when he published a purported variety, Simsia latifolia var. gracilis. This attempt was later rejected.
In 1995, Alex George
published a thorough treatment of the Stirlingia for the Flora of Australia
series of monographs. He reduced numerous names to synonymy, including declaring both S. paniculata and variety gracilis to be taxonomically indistinguishable from S. latifolia itself, and therefore synonymous
. No infrageneric arrangement has been proffered for the genus, but George placed the species close to S. anethifolia. It has no recognised subspecies or varieties.
The common name Blueboy refers to the fact that wall plaster
made using sand taken from where S. latifolia occurs turns blue.
in the north, south to Albany
. In many areas it is very common. It grows in deep sand, amongst heath
, shrubland
and woodland
.
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...
.
Description
It grows as an erect shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
from 20 centimetres to 1.5 metres high, consisting of numerous stems up to 70 centimetres long, emerging from an underground lignotuber
Lignotuber
A lignotuber is a starchy swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem by fire. The crown contains buds from which new stems may sprout, and a sufficient store of nutrients to support a period of growth in the absence of...
. Leaves are leathery, up to 10 centimetres long, and bifurcate into lobes up to three times. They extend well up the stems. Flowers occur in a panicle
Panicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
atop a scape
Scape (botany)
In botany, scapes are leafless flowering stems that rise from the ground. Scapes can have a single flower or many flowers, depending on the species....
up to 1.5 metres high.
Taxonomy
Stirlingia latifolia was first published by Robert BrownRobert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
in 1830 under the name Simsia latifolia. It was later discovered that the generic name Simsia
Simsia
Simsia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It comprises 23 species that include annuals, herbaceous perennials, and shrubs...
, published by Brown in 1810, was illegitimate, as it had already been published in 1807 for a genus of Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
. A new generic name, Stirlingia
Stirlingia
Stirlingia, commonly known as Blueboy, is a genus of 7 species in the family Proteaceae, all of which are endemic to Western Australia.-Description:...
, was published in 1838, but the transfer of the species published under Simsia was overlooked at first. Simsia latifolia would not be transferred into Stirlingia until 1841, when Ernst Steudel published Stirlingia latifolia (R.Br.) Steud. Meanwhile, John Lindley
John Lindley
John Lindley FRS was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.-Early years:Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley was a nurseryman and pomologist and ran a commercial nursery garden...
had published Stirlingia paniculata in his 1839 A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony
A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony
A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony, also known by its standard botanical abbreviation Sketch Veg. Swan R., is an 1839 article by John Lindley on the flora of the Swan River Colony...
; this would later be shown to be a synonym of S. latifolia. An attempt was later made to reinstate the name Simsia; resulting in its use by Carl Ostenfeld in 1921 when he published a purported variety, Simsia latifolia var. gracilis. This attempt was later rejected.
In 1995, Alex George
Alex George
Alexander Segger George is a Western Australian botanist. He is the authority on the plant genera Banksia and Dryandra...
published a thorough treatment of the Stirlingia for the Flora of Australia
Flora of Australia (series)
The Flora of Australia is a 59 volume series describing the vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens present in Australia and its external territories...
series of monographs. He reduced numerous names to synonymy, including declaring both S. paniculata and variety gracilis to be taxonomically indistinguishable from S. latifolia itself, and therefore synonymous
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
. No infrageneric arrangement has been proffered for the genus, but George placed the species close to S. anethifolia. It has no recognised subspecies or varieties.
The common name Blueboy refers to the fact that wall plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
made using sand taken from where S. latifolia occurs turns blue.
Distribution and habitat
It occurs throughout western parts of Western Australia's Southwest Botanical Province, ranging from KalbarriKalbarri, Western Australia
Kalbarri is a coastal town in the Mid West region located 592 km north of Perth, Western Australia. The town is found at the mouth of the Murchison River and has an elevation of...
in the north, south to 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....
. In many areas it is very common. It grows in deep sand, amongst heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
, shrubland
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
and woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
.