Stylidium longicornu
Encyclopedia
Stylidium longicornu is a dicotyledon
ous plant
that belongs to the genus
Stylidium (family Stylidiaceae
). It is an annual plant
that grows from 10 to 30 cm tall. The obovate
to spathulate leaves form a basal rosettes
around the stem. The leaves are around 4–6 mm long. Inflorescence
s are unbranched raceme
s and produce flowers that are violet with white at the base and bloom from June to August in their native range. S. longicornu is endemic to the Kimberley region in Western Australia
. Its habitat is recorded as being sand flats near sandstone. It grows in the presence of S. lobuliflorum
, Rhynchospora
, and Leptocarpus.
S. longicornu was first described by Sherwin Carlquist
in 1979, but he noted that characteristics of this species have been recorded before. The description of S. ceratophorum
given by Rica Erickson
in 1958 noted that the corolla colour is either orange or mauve with a white throat. All other descriptions and observations of S. ceratophorum have only included colours such as golden-yellow (from dried specimens) or orange in their descriptions of flower colour, indicating that Erickson may have also seen S. longicornu in the field, however this would represent a range expansion beyond where Carlquist had observed it, which he postulated was possible.
Dicotyledon
The dicotyledons, also known as dicots, are a group of flowering plants whose seed typically has two embryonic leaves or cotyledons. There are around 199,350 species within this group...
ous plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
that belongs to the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Stylidium (family Stylidiaceae
Stylidiaceae
The family Stylidiaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants. It consists of five genera with over 240 species, most of which are endemic to Australia and New Zealand. Members of Stylidiaceae are typically grass-like herbs or small shrubs and can be perennials or annuals...
). It is an annual plant
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
that grows from 10 to 30 cm tall. The obovate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
to spathulate leaves form a basal rosettes
Rosette (botany)
In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves, with all the leaves at a single height.Though rosettes usually sit near the soil, their structure is an example of a modified stem.-Function:...
around the stem. The leaves are around 4–6 mm long. 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 unbranched raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
s and produce flowers that are violet with white at the base and bloom from June to August in their native range. S. longicornu is endemic to the Kimberley region in 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...
. Its habitat is recorded as being sand flats near sandstone. It grows in the presence of S. lobuliflorum
Stylidium lobuliflorum
Stylidium lobuliflorum is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the genus Stylidium that was described by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1859. It is an erect annual plant that grows from 12 to 20 cm tall. Obovate or orbicular leaves, about 4-15 per plant, form basal rosettes. The leaves are...
, Rhynchospora
Rhynchospora
Rhynchospora is a genus of about 250-300 species of sedges with a cosmopolitan distribution. The genus includes both annual and perennial species, mostly with erect 3-sided stems and 3-ranked leaves...
, and Leptocarpus.
S. longicornu was first described by Sherwin Carlquist
Sherwin Carlquist
Sherwin Carlquist is an American botanist and photographer. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1952 and a Ph.D. in botany in 1956, also at Berkeley. Carlquist did a postdoctoral study at Harvard University from 1955 to 1956. After his postdoctoral...
in 1979, but he noted that characteristics of this species have been recorded before. The description of S. ceratophorum
Stylidium ceratophorum
Stylidium ceratophorum is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the genus Stylidium . It is an annual plant that is endemic to the Kimberley region of Western Australia and northern parts of the Northern Territory. It attains a height of 12–30 cm with a basal rosette of small leaves...
given by Rica Erickson
Rica Erickson
Frederica Lucy "Rica" Erickson AM, née Sandilands, was an Australian naturalist, botanical artist, historian, author and teacher. Without any formal scientific training, she wrote extensively on botany and birds, as well as genealogy and general history...
in 1958 noted that the corolla colour is either orange or mauve with a white throat. All other descriptions and observations of S. ceratophorum have only included colours such as golden-yellow (from dried specimens) or orange in their descriptions of flower colour, indicating that Erickson may have also seen S. longicornu in the field, however this would represent a range expansion beyond where Carlquist had observed it, which he postulated was possible.