Beaufortia aestiva

Beaufortia aestiva, commonly known as Kalbarri beaufortia,[1] or summer flame,[2] is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a dense, usually rounded shrub with small leaves and which bears yellow or red flowers in bottlebrush-like spikes near the ends of the branches in summer. It is similar to Beaufortia squarrosa but that is a smaller shrub which always has red flowers.

Kalbarri beaufortia
B. aestiva (red form)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Beaufortia
Species:
B. aestiva
Binomial name
Beaufortia aestiva
K.J. Brooks
Synonyms

Melaleuca aestiva (K.J. Brooks) Craven & R.D.Edwards

Description

Beaufortia aestiva is sometimes a dense, rounded shrub and others an open spreading one. It occasionally grows to a height of 4 m (10 ft) but more usually 2 m (7 ft) and 2 m (7 ft) wide. The leaves are egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 4–11 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and are arranged in alternating pairs (decussate), so that they form four rows along the stems.[3]

The flowers are creamy orange-coloured to red and are arranged in heads 35–45 mm (1–2 in) in diameter, on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. Flowering occurs from June to December, sometimes later and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules 7–9 millimetres (0.3–0.4 in) long. It can be distinguished from other beaufortias by its stamens which are in bundles of 5 to 7, 28–40 mm (1–2 in) long, joined for about half their length.[1][3][4]

B. aestiva growing near Binnu
B. aestiva fruit

Taxonomy and naming

Beaufortia aestiva was first formally described in 1998 by Kristine J. Brooks in Nuytsia from a specimen found near Binnu.[5] The specific epithet ("aestiva") is a Latin word meaning "summer".[6]

Distribution and habitat

Beaufortia aestiva mainly occurs between Kalbarri and Eneabba[4] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and Yalgoo biogeographic regions.[1] It grows in deep sand on sandplains[7] in kwongan.[4]

Conservation

Beaufortia aestiva is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[1]

Other colour forms

References
  1. "Beaufortia aestiva". FloraBase. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  2. "Beaufortia Care: Learn About Beaufortia Growing Conditions". Gardening Know How. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  3. Burbidge, Andrew A. (2016). "A taxonomic revision of Beaufortia (Myrtaceae: Melaleuceae)". Nuytsia. 27: 170–171.
  4. Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2009). Wildflowers of southern Western Australia (3rd ed.). Kenthurst, N.S.W.: Rosenberg Publishing. p. 114. ISBN 9781877058844. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  5. "Beaufortia aestiva". APNI. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  6. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 871.
  7. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 349. ISBN 0646402439.
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