Xanthosia rotundifolia

Southern cross
Xanthosia rotundifolia near Torndirrup
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Xanthosia
Species:
X. rotundifolia
Binomial name
Xanthosia rotundifolia
Synonyms[1]
  • Leucolaena rotundifolia (DC.) Benth.
  • Leucolaena rotundifolia (DC.) Benth. var. rotundifolia
  • Xanthosia rotundifolia var. hypoleuca Diels
  • Xanthosia rotundifolia DC. var. rotundifolia

Xanthosia rotundifolia, commonly known as southern cross, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, perennial herb with serrated or toothed leaves and white to creamy-yellow flowers.

Description

Xanthosia rotundifolia is an erect perennial herb that typically grows to a height of up to 60 cm (24 in).[2] Its leaves are round to egg-shaped or wedge-shaped, and leathery[2] with serrated or toothed edges.[3] The flowers are arranged in a compound umbel usually with four branches in the form of a cross, each branch 30–60 mm (1.2–2.4 in) wide with a petal-like bract 15 mm (0.59 in) long at the base.[2] Flowering occurs over a long period with a peak in spring.

Taxonomy

Xanthosia rotundifolia was first formally described in 1829 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in Collection de Mémoires pour Servir a l'Histoire de Regne Vegetal.[4][5] The specific epithet (rotundifolia) means "round-leaved".[6]

Distribution and habitat

Southern cross grows in gravelly, lateritic soils in rocky places, swamps and open woodland in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Warren bioregions of the south-west of Western Australia.[2][7]

References

  1. ^ a b "Xanthosia rotundifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Cronin, Leonard (2016). Australian Wildflowers. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. p. 12.
  3. ^ Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2013). Wildflowers of Southern Western Australia. Dural, New South Wales: Rosenberg Publishing pty. ltd. p. 21.
  4. ^ "Xanthosia rotundifolia". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  5. ^ de Candolle, Augustin P. (1829). Mémoire sur la famille des Ombellifères. Paris: Treuttel et Würtz. p. 31. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  6. ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 297. ISBN 9780958034180.
  7. ^ "Xanthosia rotundifolia". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.