Asterolasia nivea

Asterolasia nivea, commonly known as Bindoon starbush,[2] is a species of weak sub-shrub that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has leathery oblong to narrow elliptical leaves and white flowers arranged in groups of about three flowers with thick-centred, shield like, star-shaped hairs on the back of the petals.

Bindoon starbush
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Asterolasia
Species:
A. nivea
Binomial name
Asterolasia nivea
(Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson[1]
Synonyms[1]

Urocarpus niveus Paul G.Wilson

Habit

Description

Asterolasia nivea is a weak sub-shrub that typically grows to a height of about 50 cm (20 in). The leaves are narrow oblong, to elliptical, about 12 mm (0.47 in) long on a short petiole. The leaves are covered with star-shaped hairs. The flowers are arranged in groups of about three in leaf axils and on the ends of branchlets, each flower on a pedicel up to 15 mm (0.59 in) long and covered with thick-centred, star-shaped hairs. The petals are white, elliptical, 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long with thick-centred, star-shaped hairs on the back that formed a shield over the flower bud. There are between fifteen and twenty stamens.[2]

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1980 by Paul Wilson who gave it the name Urocarpus niveus and published the description in the journal Nuytsia.[3] In 1987, Wilson changed the name to Asterolasia nivea, publishing the change in the journal Nuytsia.[4][5]

In 2017, Juliet A. Wege published a paper in Nuytsia suggesting that A. nivea is a white flowered form, and that the name A. nivea is a synonym of A. grandiflora. This change has been accepted by the Western Australian Herbarium but not as yet by the Australian Plant Census.[1][6][7]

Distribution and habitat

Asterolasia nivea grows in gravel between New Norcia and Bindoon in Western Australia.[2]

References
  1. "Asterolasia nivea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  2. Wilson, Paul G. "Asterolasia nivea". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Canberra. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  3. "Urocarpus niveus". APNI. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  4. "Asterolasia nivea". APNI. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  5. Wilson, Paul Graham (1987). "The names Asterolasia F. Muell. and Urocarpus Harvey (Rutaceae)". Nuytsia. 6 (1): 8. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  6. Wege, Juliet A. (2017). "Taxonomic notes on Asterolasia (Rutaceae) in Western Australia to inform conservation" (PDF). Nuytsia. 28: 141–143. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  7. "Asterolasia nivea". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
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