Asterolasia

Asterolasia is a genus of seventeen species of erect or prostrate shrubs in the family Rutaceae, and is endemic to Australia. The leaves are simple and arranged alternately, the flowers arranged in umbel-like groups on the ends of branchlets or in leaf axils, usually with five sepals, five petals and ten to twenty-five stamens. There are seventeen species and they are found in all Australian mainland states but not in the Northern Territory.

Asterolasia
Asterolasia hexapetala
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Asterolasia
F.Muell.[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Actinostigma Turcz.
  • Asterolasia sect. Pleurandropsis (Baill.) Kuntze
  • Asterolasia sect. Urocarpus (Drumm. ex Harv.) Benth.
  • Phebalium a. Correoides Endl.
  • Phebalium sect. Correoides (Endl.) Pfeiff.
  • Pleurandropsis Baill.
  • Urocarpus J.Drumm. ex Harv.

Description

Plants in the genus Asterolasia are erect or prostrate shrubs. They have simple leaves arranged alternately along the stems, and are simple with smooth edges. The flowers are bisexual and have five sepals, five petals and ten to twenty-five stamens. The sepals, petals and stamens are all free from each other, the stamens slightly shorter than the petals. There are five carpels fused at the base, sometimes to the tip usually with a small beak with the styles fused to each other with a shield-shaped stigma. The fruit is composed of up to five follicle and the dull, black seeds are released explosively.[2][3][4][5][6]

Taxonomy

The genus Asterolasia was first formally described in 1854 by Ferdinand von Mueller in Transactions of the Philosophical Society of Victoria.[7][8]

Species list

The following is a list of species and subspecies recognised by the Australian Plant Census as at June 2020:[1]

Distribution

Species of Asterolasia are found in all mainland states of Australia and in the Australian Capital Territory, but not in Tasmania or the Northern Territory.[1]

References
  1. "Asterolasia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  2. Duretto, Marco f. "Asterolasia". Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  3. "Genus Asterolasia". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  4. Wilson, Paul G. "Asterolasia F.Muell". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  5. "Asterolasia". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  6. "Asterolasia". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  7. "Asterolasia". APNI. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  8. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1854). "Definitions of rare or hitherto undescribed Australian plants, chiefly collected within the boundaries of the colony of Victoria". Transactions of the Philosophical Society of Victoria. 1: 9. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
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