Species profile—Homoranthus decasetus
Classification
Plantae (plants) → Equisetopsida (land plants) → Myrtaceae → Homoranthus decasetus
Sighting data
Species details
- Kingdom
- Plantae (plants)
- Class
- Equisetopsida (land plants)
- Family
- Myrtaceae
- Scientific name
- Homoranthus decasetus Byrnes
- WildNet taxon ID
- 13455
- Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) status
- Least concern
- Conservation significant
- No
- Confidential
- No
- Endemicity
- Native
- Pest status
- Nil
- Short Notes
- BRI 222997, status annotated by author
- Description
- Homoranthus decasetus is a shrub to 2 m high. The leaves are opposite, shortly petiolate, clavate, terete, falcate and shortly apiculate; to 12 mm long and about 1mm wide. They are punctate (though barely visible to the naked eye). The flowers are solitary at the tips of the short axillary branches. The bracteoles are 3mm long, enclosing the young flower buds and each with a keel ending in a short point, caducous. The calyx tube is urceolate and strongly 5 ribbed below the middle. The calyx lobes each with 2 (rarely 3) subulate processes to 4 mm long. The petals are orbicular, about 2 mm diam. The 10 stamens and staminodes alternate, and are about 1 mm long, connate below and attached to the base of the calyx lobes. Style 14 to 18 mm long. The ovary about 2 mm long, unilocular with 8 ovules on a secund placenta. The fruit are dry, similar to the flower but slightly enlarged and containing a single winged seed.
The flowers of this species are distinct from those of other members of the genus by being noticeably constricted above the middle, having two processes on each calyx lobe and by being borne singly and erectly at the end of short branchlets. Exposure to the sun causes the flowers to change from white to red. (Byrnes, 1981; Copeland, 2011). - Distribution
- Homoranthus decasetus is known from restricted area in central Queensland, from the vicinity of Planet Downs, to Isla Gorge, and west towards Carnarvon National Park. It has been recorded from Isla Gorge Palm Grove, Expedition and Carnarvon National Parks (Queensland Herbarium 2012).
- Distributional limits
- -24.4067533, 148.4177886
-25.3067545, 149.9683334 - Range derivation
- Range derived from extent of the taxon's verified records
- Habitat
- This species occurs in eucalypt woodlands with shrubby understorey on steep slopes, cliffs, rocky ledges and gullies with skeletal sandy soil derived from sandstone. Associated tree species can include: Corymbia watsoniana, C. citriodora, C. bunites, E. tenuipes, E. fibrosa, , E. apothalassica and Lysicarpus angustifolius. (Queensland Herbarium 2012).
- Reproduction
- Homoranthus decasetus flowers and fruits sporadically throughout the year. (Copeland 2011).
- Status notes
- Homoranthus decasetus is listed as Near Threatened under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992
- Notes
- Occurs in the following Queensland pastoral district: Leichhardt.
- References
- Byrnes, N. (1981). Notes on the genus Homoranthus. Austrobaileya 1 (4): 374.
Copeland, L.M., Craven, L.A. and Bruhl, J.J. (2011). A taxonomic review of Homoranthus (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae). Australian Systematic Botany 24 (6): 351-374.
Queensland Herbarium (2012). Specimen label information. Queensland Herbarium. Accessed 12/03/2012. - Profile author
- Ronald Booth (19/03/2012)
Other resources
Data source
This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=13455.
This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.
