Agonis

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For the genus of moths with this name, see Agonis (moth).

Agonis
Flowers of A. flexuosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Myrtales Family: Myrtaceae Genus: Agonis (DC.) Sweet
Species
Agonis baxteri Agonis flexuosa Agonis theiformis Agonis undulata

Agonis is a genus of four species in the plant family Myrtaceae. All are endemic to Western Australia, growing near the coast in the south west.

Only one, Agonis flexuosa, grows to tree size, the others generally growing as tall shrubs. Agonis formerly contained a number of other species, but the genus was recently split, with the majority moved to Taxandria.

Agonis generally have fibrous brown bark, dull green leaves and inflorescences of small white flowers. They are most readily identified by the powerful odour of peppermint emitted when the leaves are crushed or torn.

Species

• A. baxteri
• A. flexuosa Western Australian Peppermint, Swan River Peppermint, Willow Myrtle is the most well-known Agonis, being a common tree in parks and road verges in southern Australia.
  • A. f. var. flexuosa
  • A. f. var. latifolia
• A. theiformis
• A. undulata

The name Agonis derives from the Greek agon, meaning gathering or collection. In reference to the tightly clustered flowers.

Agonis is the food plant of the moth Aenetus dulcis.

As with many Australian natives, when transplanting, great care must be taken when to avoid stressing, straining or jarring the area where the trunk meets the root ball.

[edit] References

• Agonis. FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.
• Boland, D. J. et al. (1984). Forest Trees of Australia (Fourth edition revised and enlarged). Collingwood, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 0-643-05423-5. .
• Blackall, W. E. and Grieve, B. J. (1980). How to Know Western Australian Wildflowers, Part 3A, 2nd ed., Nedlands, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. ISBN 0-85564-160-6. .
• Powell, Robert (1990). Leaf and Branch: Trees and Tall Shrubs of Perth. Perth, Western Australia: Department of Conservation and Land Management. ISBN 0-7309-3916-2. .