Isotoma petraea

Isotoma petraea, commonly known as rock isotome,[2] is a small, herbaceous plant in the family Campanulaceae occurring in arid regions of Australia. It has single, purplish-blue flowers on smooth, slender branches from February to November.

Rock isotome
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Campanulaceae
Genus: Isotoma
Species:
I. petraea
Binomial name
Isotoma petraea

Description

Isotoma petraea is an erect, spreading, perennial or annual herbaceous plant with smooth branches that typically grows to a height of 0.2 to 0.6 metres (0.7 to 2.0 ft). The smooth leaves are narrowly egg-shaped to elliptic, 3–7.5 cm (1.2–3.0 in) long, 1–3.5 cm (0.39–1.38 in) wide, petiolate on lower sections sessile toward the branch apex, sharply lobed, unevenly spaced teeth and ending in a point. The blue-purplish flowers are borne singly on a wiry peduncle 8–25 cm (3.1–9.8 in) long. The calyces are narrow-triangular, pointed, 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) long, corolla is mostly white and may have a flush of purplish-blue, a light green floral tube 14–20 mm (0.55–0.79 in) long with prominent veins. The smooth petals are lance-oblong shaped 9–12 mm (0.35–0.47 in) long and tapering sharply to a point. The fruit are rounded, slightly ribbed and 12–22 mm (0.47–0.87 in) long. Flowering occurs mostly in summer.[3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

This species was first formally described in 1853 by Ferdinand von Mueller and the description was published in Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde.[6][7] The specific epithet (petraea) is derived from the Latin petraeus meaning "growing amongst rocks".[8]

Distribution and habitat

It is found on breakways, among rocky outcrops and in rock crevices in the Mid West, Wheatbelt and Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia where it grows in shallow sandy soils over granite.In New South Wales it grows west of Wilcannia mostly on slopes and rocky locations on shallow granite based soils. In South Australia it is a widespread species growing in rocky locations.[2][3][5]

References
  1. "Isotoma petraea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  2. "Isotoma petraea". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  3. "Isotoma petraea". eFloraSA. State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  4. Wrigley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (2001). Australian Native Plants. Louise Eggerton-Reed New Holland. p. 591. ISBN 1876334304.
  5. Wiecek, B. "PlantNET - FloraOnline". plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  6. "Diagnoses et descriptiones plantarum novarum, quas in Nova Hollandia". Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. 1853. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  7. "Isotoma petraea". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  8. Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 275. ISBN 9780958034180.
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