Persoonia asperula

Persoonia asperula, commonly known as mountain geebung, is a species in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to south-eastern Australia. Plants may be prostrate or assume a shrub habit. Leaves are between 7 and 22 mm long and 2 to 6 mm wide and have edges that curve back. The inflorences may be terminal or axillary, comprising 1 to 9 yellow flowers that appear between January and February in the species native range.^[4][5] These are followed by purple-striped fleshy green fruits.^[4]

The species was formally described in 1991 in the journal Telopea.^[2] It occurs in montane heath and wet forest in south-eastern New South Wales south of the Sandhills Range including the Tinderry Range and the Kybean Range and Mount Kydra.^[4] A small disjunct population occurs in the Moroka River catchment in Victoria. These have smaller leaves that are 3 to 8 mm long and 1 to 2 mm Wide. It is thought that this population may constitute a separate taxon.^[4]

Persoonia asperula may be found growing together with P. chamaepeuce, with which it sometimes hybridises, and P. silvatica.^[4]

The species is listed as "threatened" in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and "endangered" on the Department of Sustainability and Environment's Advisory List of Rare Or Threatened Plants In Victoria.^[6]

References