Darwinia (plant)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Darwinia

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Genus:	Darwinia Rudge

Species

See text.

For other uses, see Darwinia.

Darwinia (syn. Genetyllis DC.) is a genus of between 30-60 species of evergreen shrubs in the family Myrtaceae, endemic to southeastern and southwestern Australia. The majority are native to southern Western Australia, but a few species occur in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. The genus was named in honour of Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles Darwin. They are commonly known as Mountain Bells or simply Bells.

Darwinia plant in the Stirling Range, Western Australia

The species of Darwinia grow to between 20-300 cm high, with many of the smaller species being prostrate. The leaves are opposite in decussate pairs (alternate in some species), simple, small, needle-like to oval, 4-20 mm long and 2-10 mm broad, mostly hard with a leathery texture. The flowers are grouped singly or several together, perfect, 2-30 mm long, with five red, white or greenish petals and ten stamens.

They are difficult to propagate from seed but can be cultivated from cuttings.

Many species in the genus Darwinia are threatened with extinction, being listed as Endangered or Vulnerable on the Australian National List of Threatened Flora. Land clearing and grazing practices have reduced the areas where Darwinia species grow naturally. Recovery is hindered by drought, changed fire regimes and susceptiblity to infection by the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi which kills the plants.

Natural hybrids are known among darwinias, for example between D. fascicularis and D. glaucophylla where these species occur together.