Calothamnus phellosus
Calothamnus phellosus is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tall, spreading shrub with needle-shaped, prickly leaves and bright red flowers with five stamen bundles.
Description
Calothamnus phellosus is a shrub growing to a height of about and a width of about. Its leaves are needle-like, mostly long and wide, circular in cross section and tapering to a sharp, prickly point.The flowers have 5 sepals and 5 petals. The stamens are bright red and are arranged in 5 claw-like bundles, each about long. The petals are long. Flowering occurs from September to November and is followed by fruits which are woody, flattened spherical capsules, long, often tightly packed together and which develop a corky bark.
Taxonomy and naming
Calothamnus phellosus was first formally described in 2010 by Alex George in Nuytsia from a specimen found in the north of the Murchison River near Eurardy. The specific epithet is said to be Greek, meaning "corky", referring to the outer surface of the fruit of this species. In ancient Greek phellosus is not attested.The suffix -osus is not of Greek but of Latin origin. In ancient Greek, phellos is used for "cork" and phellōdēs and phellinos mean respectively "of cork" and "made of cork".