Goodenia gypsicola

Goodenia gypsicola
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Goodeniaceae
Genus:	Goodenia
Species:	G. gypsicola
Binomial name
Goodenia gypsicola Symon[1]

Goodenia gypsicola is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to areas of salt lakes in inland Australia. It is a perennial herb with spatula-shaped leaves and racemes of pale blue flowers.

Description

Goodenia gypsicola is a perennial, tuft-forming herb that typically grows to a height of 60 cm (24 in) and sometimes has up to one hundred leaves. The leaves are spatula-shaped, up to 30 mm (1.2 in) long and 10 mm (0.39 in) wide, sometimes with two or three lobes. The flowers are arranged in racemes 200–350 mm (7.9–13.8 in) long, each flower on a pedicel 5.5–7 mm (0.22–0.28 in) long with bracts 10–30 mm (0.39–1.18 in) long at the base. The sepals are about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long, the corolla pale blue, about 6 mm (0.24 in) long. Flowering occurs in October.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Goodenia gypsicola was first formally described in 2000 by David Eric Symon in the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.[2][4] The specific epithet (gypsicola) means "gypsum-inhabiting".[5]

Distribution and habitat

This goodenia grows in consolidated gypsum in scattered salt lakes in Western Australia and in the Serpentine Lakes area of South Australia.[2][3]

Conservation status

Goodenia gypsicola is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.[3]

References

1. "Goodenia gypsicola". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
2. Symon, David Eric (2000). "A new gypsophilous Goodenia (Goodeniaceae)" (PDF). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. 19: 97–99. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
3. "Goodenia gypsicola". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
4. "Goodenia gypsicola". APNI. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
5. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 212. ISBN 9780958034180.