Bindoon starbush | |
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Scientific classification
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Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Sapindales |
Family: | Rutaceae |
Genus: | Asterolasia |
Species: | A. nivea
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Binomial name | |
Asterolasia nivea (
Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson
[1]
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Synonyms [1] | |
Urocarpus niveus Paul G.Wilson |
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.
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]
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]
Asterolasia nivea grows in gravel between New Norcia and Bindoon in Western Australia. [2]