Astroloma pallidum

Astroloma pallidum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Astroloma
Species: A. pallidum
Binomial name
Astroloma pallidum
R.Br.

Astroloma pallidum, commonly known as kick bush is usually a small, compact shrub in the heath family Ericaceae. The species is endemic to south-western Western Australia.

Description

A. pallidum is usually a neat, dense, compact shrub but sometimes a diffuse to erect shrub to about 30 cm high. The leaves are lance-shaped, about 1 cm long and with toothed margins. Creamy white to pale yellow (rarely pink or red) tubular flowers are present in the axils of leaves for most of the year.[1][2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

A. pallidum was first described by Robert Brown in 1810 in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae.[4] The specific epithet (pallidum) is derived from the Latin pallidus = pale yellow-green.[5]

There is one variety - Astroloma pallidum'' var. ''suberectum'' Sond.[6]

Distribution and habitat

A. pallidum grows on yellow/grey sand, red/brown laterite gravel, brown clay to sandy clay, ironstone and limestone in a variety of habitats including flats, hillslopes, winter-wet sites and the edges of lakes in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren biogeographical regions of Western Australia.[3]

Cultivation

This species is not known in cultivation, partly because good cutting wood is difficult to obtain.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 234. ISBN 0646402439.
  2. 1 2 Wrigley, John; Fagg, Murray (1983). Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping (2nd ed.). Sydney: Collins. p. 100. ISBN 0002165759.
  3. 1 2 Spooner, Amanda. "Astroloma pallidum R.Br. Kick Bush". Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "Astroloma pallidum R. Br.". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  5. ↑ "pallidum". Wikipedia. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Astroloma pallidum var. suberectum Sond.". Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
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