Hakea denticulata

Hakea denticulata, commonly known as Stinking Roger, is a shrub tree endemic southern Western Australia. One of the many species of Australian plant described by the botanist Robert Brown, it is a compact shrub up to 1 or 2 metres high and wide with red flowers in the spring, of a powerful odor.

Taxonomy

Robert Brown described Hakea denticulata in 1830 in his Supplementum primum Prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae, a supplement to his 1810 work.^[1] Byron Lamont differentiated what was previously considered a form of Hakea prostrata and named in H. rubriflora in 1973,^[2] but it was found to be synonymous with H. denticulata. Brown's name is derived from the Latin denticulus "little tooth", hence "with little teeth", referring to the leaf margins, while Lamont's name was derived from the Latin ruber "red" and flos "flower".^[2] Its common name is Stinking Roger.^[3]

Hakea denticulata was reclassified along with five other species in the Prostrata group in the 1999 Flora of Australia treatment.^[1]

Description

Hakea denticulata grows as a dense woody shrub to 1 or 2 metres (3-7 ft) high and wide. The flat leaves are more or less oval-shaped and measure 1.5–4.6 cm (0.6-0.9 in) in length by 1–2.5 cm (0.4-1 in) wide. The leaf margins bear 2 to 10 teeth measuring 1–2 mm long each side. Flowers occur July to October, and the orange-red to cream inflorescences are axillary (arise along branchlets) and have a strong and offensive odour. The flowers are followed by pointed oval seed pods bearing two seeds each.^[1]

Distribution and habitat

Hakea denticulata occurs on Western Australia's southern coast from Albany to east of Esperance. It reaches the Stirling Range to the north. It is found on a range of soils from sand to gravel and even a heavier clay loam.^[1]

Cultivation

Although the plant has attractive foliage and flowers, the latter's smell rather limits its use in cultivation.^[2]

References